Mending the Past, Changing the Future
by yellow-greenorchid1419
Summary: Shinichi knew that he landed in the hospital way too often. But, when a mysterious package with all the Black Organization's deepest secrets and ways of doing, he knew this was a once in a lifetime chance...to defeat them. But, in order to do so, he has to earn the trust of everybody...and earning their trust includes informing them of his secret...
1. Chapter 1

**These are my first few days using this account;I'm new. There can still be flames, I need to realize my mistakes.**

Conan, Ran, and Megure-keibu were backing slowly to the back of the cabin, their concentration focused solely upon the handcuffed murderer. Two escorts walked side-by-side, their eyes never leaving the serial killer. A lock of greasy, shaggy hair obscured the murderer's vision. His ragged clothes hung loosely, and he limped slowly toward the exit, which the three people were currently blocking. The cabin was damp and eerie. It wasn't big; just a one-floored cabin with a storm cellar. The walls were empty; the paint peeling, and the only thing that occupied the cabin were the six people, and pile of rags that piled up to Ran's waist. The sauntering man tripped, and face-planted into the pile of dirty, filthy rags. Knowing no one could see it, his face twisted into a gruesome, evil grin. He suddenly sprang up, his hands twisted, and in his right hand he grasped a knife held in a stabbing position.

"Move! Get outa' my way!"He roared. The murderer charged at Ran, hoping she would get out of the way, but said girl was scared out of her mind. All she could do was stand there, petrified, and she closed her eyes, expecting the pain. But it never came.  
Edogawa Conan had jumped into the way, resulting in a stab to the stomach. Blood spurted everywhere, and Conan fell limply to the ground with a dull thud, and immediately curled up, shaking so violently his glasses were threatening to fall off. Out of fury, Ran swung her foot at the now panting man, and it immediately found it's mark. Then, she crouched down and tore her shirt into strips, knowing she had an under shirt. Wrapping them tightly around his stomach, she finished it by tying a knot. Megure-keibu slapped another pair of handcuffs on him, and led him to a police car.

"Conan-kun! Daijabou(are you alright), Conan-kun? Hang in there!"Ran frantically shouted. Conan tried his best to smile, and managed to say,

"Ran-neechan, I'm fine. It's just hurting a little," but Ran was unconvinced.

"NANI(what)?Hurting a little? Look, the bandages are soaked with blood already!" She droned on and on, about how he shouldn't have jumped in the way, how he should just admit that he hurted a lot, and when the ambulance finally came, they loaded Conan into the back and drove to the hospital, right behind the police.

x

The serial killer had been identified as Daruki Bando. He had been charged guilty of ten first degree murders and one attempted murder. Daruki had only targeted little girls that had bangs and short hair. He had asked Kisaki Eri to represent him in court, but she refused immediately, knowing that he was the one who landed Conan in the hospital. At court, he pleaded guilty, saying that he only targeted little girls with bangs and short hair because ' _Someone killed my little girl who looks like those girls I killed, and they killed her. She was pushed in front of a moving train._ ' and was sentenced one thousand years in prison.

x

Hattori Heiji, meanwhile, was down in the cellar. He had no wherabouts of above, so he had no idea that 'Kudo' was living off donated blood. He was sure that the serial killer's accomplice was in here. It was also very bare in the cellar, but a heavy layer of dust blanketed the floor. There were moth-bitten blankets on the floor, most likely put here several years ago.

"Oi! If yer' in here, come ou'! I know yer' there, Darumi-san," Hattori said, frustrated.

"Konnichiwa, tantei-san," Darumi Sai said, stepping out of the shadows. "I see you know my name. Well, it doesn't matter anyways."He gave a mirthless laugh. Hattori saw a barrel of a gun gleam. His eyes widened when he realized what he was going to do. With a split-second to spare, he dived at the accomplice. Because of Hattori, the bullet went off course, and it sunk into Hattori's shoulder.

"Why? Why not just let me die?" Darumi howled.

"A detective who lets a murderer die is none other than a murderer himself,"Hattori calmly said.

With no time to spare, he grit his teeth and shot all of the bullets-He wanted to make sure there weren't any bullets left anyway-out toward the roof, hoping someone would hear. Just by coincidence, Megure-keibu and Takagi-keiji were just about to go into the cellar. Hearing the gunshots, they immediately opened the trap door, and lowered themselves in bit-by-bit as fast as they could, and jumped in.

"Hattori-kun!" He heard Megure-keibu call toward him. He grasped his left shoulder as he walked toward him."Call for an ambulance!"The overweight inspector ordered, seeing the steady flow of blood.

"Hai(yes sir)!"Takagi obeyed, and yelled,"Moshi-moshi? I need an ambulance immediately! Hai, to the place where that little boy was stabbed. Arigato(thanks)!" 'Little boy? Did by any means he mean...Kudo?' Hattori thought.

"Little kid? Did K-Conan get stabbed?"Hattori voiced his thoughts.

"Hai(yes)," Megure-keibu confirmed.'Kudo...' The wailing of the sirens were now within hearing distance. "Hattori-kun, explain."

"I found out,"He panted,"That the killer had,"He panted again,"An accomplice." Megure-keibu nodded.

"Go on."

"I knew he would be here, so I just...came."

"DID YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS? YOU COULD OF JUST LET THE POLICE GO CONFRONT HIM!"Megure-keibu scolded him. They could now hear the footsteps above them.

By the time the doctors with their gurneys rushed in, Takagi-keiji was practically holding up Hattori.

"Hattori-san, don't fall asleep, okay?" Takagi-keiji asked. Said person feebly nodded, and stumbled

toward the gurney. Collapsing on it in a very undignified heap, he was loaded onto the ambulance and driven to Beika hospital.

x

Hattori groaned and opened his eyes. The blinding white of the hospitals caused him to look away, only to find himself staring at Kazuha, who looked like she had been crying. Both blushed and turned away. Ran was frowning at Conan, who was reading books that she had brought him, but, the books seemed way to advanced for him. A second-grader reading high school textbooks? And taking notes? Since when were second-graders learning high school material? Not that he knew it was a high school textbook. She had disguised a high school textbook as his mystery books, and the moment he opened it, his hand went straight toward the notebook and pen in his bag. To sum it up, Conan was not aware that he was giving his self away.

"Oh, Hattori, you're awake," Conan said, concentration still on the textbook. Hattori leaned over as much as possible and whispered,

"Yer' givin' yerself away too much."

"And you seem to be having a love scene with Kazuha-san,"he retorted. This really caused a really big stir.

"AHOU(idiot)! I AM NOT HAVING A LOVE SCENE WITH KAZUHA!" The two girls stared at Hattori, and Ran asked Conan,

"Conan-kun, what did you say?"She looked mad.

"A-Ah, nothing!"He tried to say.

Everybody laughed, and after laughing so much,there was a long period of silence. It was broken when the nurse came to change their bandages. She brought out a fresh roll of bandages, and went to Conan. When she unwrapped him, blood immediately gushed out, the stitches dissolving long ago.

"Azea-san?"Ran asked the nurse.

"Hai(yes)?" she answered.

"Uh...Why is Conan-kun still bleeding?"

"Don't worry, it's just because the wound is deep,"she reassured Ran.

"Is there anything I can do? After all, it's my fault he's like this,"she looked down.

"Iie(no),there's nothing you need to do."

"Ok..." Azea went to change Hattori's bandage, and left the room.

"Ran-chan, what do you mean by it was your fault?"Kazuha inquired.

"The murderer suddenly charged at me with a knife. Demo(but)Conan-kun jumped in the way. So, it should be me lying there."

"How is that your fault? He chose to jump by himself!" Kazuha balled her fists. Ran looked down.

"I could've moved out of the way. But I didn't. Conan-kun had to. So it is my fault,"she touched the bandage where the needle to donate blood for Conan had poked into her skin.

Kazuha faltered,"Now that you say that..."Hattori eyed Conan quizzically. He blushed and resumed taking notes.

x

After a few hours of silence, Conan's phone rang. He grabbed it and answered,

"Moshi-moshi(Hello;only used on phones)?"

 _"Kudo-kun."_

"Haibara?"

 _"Hai(yes)."_

"What do you need?"

 _"I need you to come here to test an antidote."_

"NANI(What)?" He yelped, then whispered,"Are you talking about the prototype antidote?"

 _"Hai(yes), the prototype antidote that turned you into a child, Apoptoxin 4869,although, remember the possibility of you being killed."_ Came her usual cold voice.

"Okay, chotto matte(wait),I'm coming over!"He shouted, and immediately snapped his phone shut."Ran-neechan, I know it's sort of sudden, but Shinichi-niichan said he's coming back for a while,, and that my parents are waiting for me at the airport for a vacation!Bye!" He said, and scampered off the bed.

"Conan-kun!Chotto(wait)!,"Ran called to him in vain. He was already exiting the hospital.

x

Conan ignored the throbbing pain in his stomach, and continued to weave through the streets. Not caring if everyone was staring at him, he ran straight toward his house. Red spots danced in his eyes as he pushed his aching legs forward, knowing that Gin might be looking at him this very instance. He burst into the house, raced up the stairs, and grabbed his Teitan uniform. He sprinted towards the Hakase's(professor's) and flung open the doors.

"H-Hakase(professor)!"He heaved, his hands on his knees."Haibara!"

"Why are you being so loud?"Haibara appeared from behind Conan. She had an annoyed look on her face, and her arms crossed.

"Where's the antidote?"He eagerly asked.

"Here. It should last about a week or so. Based on this, give me approximately a week, and the permanent antidote will be ready." She shoved a pill bottle into his hand.

"Arigato(Thanks)!"He said, and went back to his house.

In the bathroom, Conan swallowed the red and white pill. The ever so familiar pain kicked in, and as he went further in, his cries of pain grew. The whole neighborhood heard the last, final scream before silence ensued.

Shinichi looked at himself to make sure he actually changed back. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. All clues pointed to this being real. He straightened his tie, and smiled at the mirror. He picked up his Conan clothes from the floor, and threw them on the sink counter. He turned around to exit, but when he touched the now-very-short handle, unexpected pain shot through his left bicep as a bullet grazed him and lodged itself snugly in the door. He somehow managed to bandage the wound,(which included taping his arm to the wall)he flopped onto his bed, wondering who could've shot it.

' _Not Gin, that would've killed me for sure if it had been him...Probably not the snipers either...they have deadly aim...Let's see...only Vermouth knows I am Conan...What if...She fired that shot as a warning to let me know that Gin...No, that's not likely...She probably just didn't tell the Organization because Ran and I saved her life..._ ' Slowly, he fell asleep.

x

Meanwhile, Ran was walking home to the Mouri Detective Agency.

"Ran, you're home? Perfect,get me another beer,"Mouri Kogoro drawled, his words slurred.

"Otousan(dad), you're drinking again? Mou(jeez), be serious for once!"She said haughtily.

"Onegaii(please), Ran-chan!"He begged. The TV turned to Okino Yoko's drama."YOKO-CHAN!"He called exitedly.

"Be quiet!"She commanded, swinging her foot at Kogoro's head and stopping one centimeter away.

"H-Hai(yes),"he stuttered, thinking about how close he was from getting a large bruise on his cheek.

"Conan-kun has left for America,"She said firmly.

"Eh!?That brats is going back to America?"He stood up. He didn't actually hate him;he just got annoying.

"He's probably on the plane right now..."She mournfully said. A vibration in her pocket made her musing stop.

"Moshi-moshi?(Hello;only used on phones)?"She spoke into the receiver.

" _Ran?_ " Shinichi's voice blared.

"Shinichi! Are you really coming home today?" She spoke excitedly.

" _Hai.(yes )Although, only for a , in a half hour, I have an appointment with the weather station. If you want to, you can come. If you do, bring your father."_ He spoke.

"Okay..."She heard him shift, and then wince."Shinichi? Why did you wince? Daijabou?(are you alright)"

 _"Um, I was on a case, then the murderer just happened to have a whole stash of weapons. He stabbed me in the stomach, and when I tried to kick a ball at him, he shot a bullet at me which grazed my arm."_

"Oh, okay. Well, see you at the weather station! Ja.(see you)"

" _Ja na.(see you)_ "


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the late update. I had a sudden one-shot idea, so I went ahead and did that before the idea faded away. Again, sorry for the late update.  
**

 **Japanese terms used in story+Meaning**

 **Otousan=Dad**

 **Hai=Yes**

 **Gomen=Sorry**

 **Tantei-bozu=Detective brat**

 **Ano=Um**

 **Here's chapter 2**

Ran was ecstatic. Ecstatic that Shinichi was coming home. even if it was only for one week. But, she saw a different Shinichi. No longer was he the proud, confident,and self-centered idiot who never doubted his words; he now was a mysterious, careful,and cautious person who fumbled over and doubted every w ord he said. A Shinichi who prefered to stay in the dark. She just wondered what made him like this...

When Shinichi said to meet him at the weather station _with her father_ ,she couldn't help but stare at the phone in surprise. He usually avoided him, and never really talked to him. But, Ran obeyed. As long as she could see Shinichi. She assumed it was for some interview or something, since it was at the weather station, so she went up to her bedroom and spent five minutes deciding what to wear. Finally, after matching pairs and switching around she put on a pale blue blouse with a short skirt, but not as short as tennis miniskirt which Sonoko kept showing her. It was almost to the knee; about 15 centimeters above.

"Otousan, we're going to meet Shinichi!"Ran called from the the top of the stairs. She hopped down the stairs and saw piles of beer cans, some still half-full, most of them already finished. Ran groaned. She just left for _ten minutes_ , and this is what it turns into?

"YOKO-CHAN!"He called in reply, swaying to the music. Ran sighed from the doorway. Her father would _never_ stop drinking. At least he didn't have that disgusting 'I love Yoko-chan' headband on. She stormed back in and grabbed swept all of his beer cans in the already overflowing trash. She snatched the remote control from the table and jabbed the power button.

"Otousan, we are going NOW,"Her tone brooked no argument. Kogoro shuddered.

"H-Hai,"He nervously whispered. He got up cautiously and crept down the stairs, and they walked to the subway. Kogoro now fully sober due to Ran, and walked without stumbling.

x

They arrived ten minutes later in a taxi. The driver stopped in front of the weather station. The tall building towered high above them, and in front of their taxi stood Shinichi, wearing his Teitan high uniform. He waved at them as the warm, dry summer wind tousled his black hair. The car slowed to a stop, and Shinichi bended down to get the car handle, only to wince and give Ran an apologetic and weary look.

"Gomen Ran. Forgot I got stabbed,"He shouted through the window, hoping she could hear. She nodded in understanding, and opened the car door by herself.

"So, Shinichi, who is it you're meeting?"Ran questioned. Shinichi looked wearily at the building as if he knew it was horrible. Which, in Shinichi's opinion, was true. someone was asking him to _show himself on television_. The chances of Gin or Vodka finding out were...almost one hundred percent.

"He's a meteorologist. His name is..." He checked the invitation."Hiromatsu Hirasho" Shinichi would have no doubt in turning down the offer. This was life or death...

"Why did he ask you tantei-bozu? You are nothing compared to the Mouri Kogoro!" He bluffed. ' _That is true in a way...how did he know that I came back? What if he's actually...No, he probably wants to use me as an alibi...maybe...'_ Shinichi's gears started turning, but was jerked out of his thoughts when Ran yelled,

"SHIN-I-CHI!" He regained his posture, wincing as he straightened up, and said,

"Then, shall we go?"

"I promise I am not letting Ran out of my sight! I don't want her running who-knows-where with that tantei-bozu!" Kogoro declared. Shinichi couldn't help but roll his eyes at that one. Wasn't _he_ the one who was always flirting with girls? Such a hypocrite. It wasn't like he was going to run off with Ran... Shinichi felt a headache approach as he stalked into the station.

x

Ding! The elevator signaled the fourth floor. It's doors slipped open, and they walked out. The floor was mainly offices, and had little space for otherwise. There were long hallways, always ending in a wall with a left path and right path.

"Gosh, this is so complicated," complained Kogoro. He was slouching and beads of sweat had formed on his brows. When a person happened to walk by, however, he straightened up and cleared his throat. The man turned around, and said,

"You're Mouri Kogoro, aren't you? I'm a big fan of yours!" Shinichi did his best to hide away from him, but failed miserably. "And you're Kudo Shinichi! Wow, the two best detectives are in our weather station!" Kogoro beamed positively, but Shinichi just turned around and said,

"Let's go, Ran," and walked away.

x

"Hiromatsu, Hiromatsu,"Shinichi muttered, searching for the meteorologist's office. "Found it!"He said. He knocked two times on the door, and heard a muffled,

"Come in!" Shinichi opened the door, it squeaking the slightest bit. He held the door open for Ran and her father, of which Ran politely thanked, then closed the door and leaned against the wall. The headache was oddly persistent, and he was sure his temperature was up again. After he had managed to bandage his arm, he had taken his temperature when he started shivering and sweating at the same time. His head felt full of cotton, so he took his temperature, only to find it at forty degrees Celcius. With the little medical information he knew, he knew that it was a temperature starting the danger zone of fevers, but he just shrugged it off. He had a lot to do.

"Hiramatsu-san, I believe you invited me to talk with you on the news. Unfortunately, that cannot happen," Shinichi started. The fact that Gin, or any Black Organzation member could be listening to the news right now was a little...chilling. He also couldn't show his face...that would just basically tip off the Organization that either the poison didn't work...or something.

"And why is that?"Hiromatsu inquired.

"I cannot show my face, it is a dire and dangerous situation. I beg you to replace me with Mouri Kogoro,"He replied with a dead serious face and no hints of laughter. Ran studied his eyes. They were their normal shade of blue, but there seemed to be a shadow lurking. Almost like... fear. He also seemed to have gotten older. Well, yes, he couldn't have not gotten older, but he seemed more... mature.

"I, the great Mouri Kogoro, shall replace this tantei-bozu proudly,"Kogoro proudly exclaimed, and then laughed like a maniac. Ran turned away in embarrasment.

"K-Kudo-san, I don't understand," The meteorologist stuttered. Did Shinichi just not explain that _he was in a dire and dangerous situation_?

"You don't have to. It is quite simple. I am in a life-threatening situation. My face cannot be shown,"Shinichi said in a monotone, his palms flat on the desk. His eyes bore into the meteorologist's, and they contained nothing but seriousness.

"Very well. As much as I would prefer you, I will do your bidding,"Hiromatsu reluctantly agreed. Shinichi let out a sigh of relief, which did not go unnoticed by Ran. "However, may we have lunch together? My treat."

"Okay, how about that new restaurant around the corner? I heard they have excellent soup,"Shinichi agreed.

"Hai,"He confirmed. Shinichi felt his body heat rise slightly, and brushing away beads of sweat, he softly but also firmly said,

"Let's go."

x

They were almost to the front door when suddenly, a murderous man came charging straight at Shinichi. Said person had his back turned, so he did not notice the incoming live bulldozer. Ran, hearing the heavy thuds of footsteps, turned around, only to scream.

"SHINICHI! LOOK OUT!" But, as life always went, it was just a few seconds too late. At full speed, the man rammed into Shinichi, who had turned around slightly, and continued the violent spree out of the building. Shinichi flew into the wall, his wounded shoulder taking in the impact and giving a sickening 'crack'. He slid down, and immediately, his hand flew to his shoulder. No doubt it was broken _,_ the crack had definitely proved that _._ Shinichi couldn't see it, but the wound had probably opened again. _  
_

"K-Kudo-san!" Hiromatsu yelled, and rushed to him. Shinichi shakily stood up, gritting his teeth and still grasping his shoulder. A red stain could now be seen on the once-blue uniform. Ran tried to help him, but he waved her away. He tried to hide himself, but he was unfortunately the center of attention. The employees and visitors were now swarming around them. Snippets of 'Is that Kudo Shinichi?'or 'Someone call the ambulance!' or 'Get Wanibuchi-san! He's a doctor!' Were heard throughout the crowd. Although, no one actually called for an ambulance,

"Shinichi, do you have a fever? You're forehead is extremely hot!"Ran exclaimed, her hand on his burning forehead. Well, obviously he did. Shinichi stiffened, and nervously replied,

"M-Maybe," and watched his vision swim. He leaned against Ran, and wiped his sweat with his blood-covered but good hand.

"Get out of the way!" Ordered a doctor with the name tag 'Wanibuchi'. Apparently someone had went to get the being interviewed doctor. Everyone parted, and he rushed to Shinichi, and made him sit down. He opened the medical bag and brought out latex gloves. "You're not allergic to latex, are you?" He questioned Shinichi. Shinichi feebly shook his head.

"Ano, maybe you should check his temperature? It seems pretty high,"Came the worried voice of Ran. The doctor nodded, and proceeded to check the temperature. He took out his tools. Wanibuchi frowned after reading the results.

"This temperature is way too high... forty-two degrees, almost forty-three. He needs an ambulance immediately!" Kogoro was already dialing for one. "We'll need to do anything we can to bring the fever down," The doctor said, crushing an instant ice pack. He put it on Shinichi's forehead, forcing him to lie down.

"Shoulder...infection...APTX..."They heard Shinichi mutter in his delirious state. The doctor understood, and then gained a determined look in his eyes. He used a pocket knife he so happened to have to rip open the Teitan uniform with great care but swiftness, and found himself looking at a poorly bandaged wound that seemed to have caused the infection. It was red, and was swelling up like any other infection. Although, these types of infections should not have made the fever so bad... The doctor was puzzled. What else had the poor detective said? Oh, yes, APTX. The only plausible thing he could think of was apoptosis. But, what was that supposed to do to make the fever worse? Shinichi sat up, but was pushed down by Ran and Wanibuchi. The ambulance came wailing in, and they rushed in with a gurney.

"Wanibuchi-san,"they greeted the doctor. Lifting Shinichi carefully up on to the gurney, they wheeled him very quickly to the waiting and ready-to-go ambulance. Ran scrambled on hastily and sat in with him. Immediately, they started to inject antibiotics into the burning Shinichi, sticking an IV into his arm as well.

"We're going to have to give him an ice bath as soon as possible,"A paramedic said. He studied his face. "Hey, isn't this Kudo Shinichi?" Ran nodded. "He's got a nasty broken shoulder there, too. Poor boy." Shinichi was rushed to Beika hospital, Intensive Care Unit.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is mainly just a fill-in chapter. Nonetheless, enjoy. Oh, and, should I keep on putting the translations?  
**

Shinichi was in a critical condition, Ran had heard the doctors say. He was infected, had a stab wound, a spiking fever which the doctors couldn't bring down, and was in an like-comatose state. The doctors were all puzzled. They have never encountered a case like this. It was unique. Of course, the person affected wasn't exactly normal, either. This was Kudo Shinichi they were talking about. Who knew what he might have encountered? Ran sat next to Shinichi's hospital bed, sparing a glance toward the sleeping Hattori Heiji, who had rushed to the room despite his own injuries. She stared at the IV was injected to bring nutrients and fluids into his body. An oxygen mask was put on the teenager gasping for air. She looked down sadly at Shinchi. This wasn't how she was supposed to spend her time with him! She had envisioned maybe going to the park together, or maybe go to an amusement park. Definitely not sit by a blindingly white hospital bed hoping the unconscious Shinichi would wake up! Ran's fists balled. Ever since that amusement park trip, Shinichi was always ill. But, not to this degree, that was for sure. She had suggested~no, ordered him to the hospital. Probably, he hadn't even took in a word of that.

"R-Ran," Shinichi feebly said, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask. He hastily ripped it off, and cracked his brilliant sapphire eyes open. Ran almost cried in relief, and her eyes sparkled with tears. It had been two days already without any signs of movement, and Ran was already cracking from the pressure. Yet now, the tons of agony were sliding off her, load by load. She shook the sleeping Hattori, and he jerked awake, before his rubbing his eyes. His eyes landed on the confused and feverish Shinichi.

"Shinichi! You're awake!" Ran launched herself at Shinichi, but was held back by Hattori.

"I'll have you know that he still _is_ a patient at a hospital," He sighed, although that could be said the same for him. Ran was red in the face, but not because of almost hugging Shinichi. It was because Hattori had his hands in her back pant pockets, and he was pulling her pants down. A SLAP echoed through the room, and there sat Hattori with a red hand mark on his cheek. Shinichi tried hard not to snigger, and looked down to hide his grin. He slowly eased himself down, and when he was finally lying down, Shinichi tucked his hands behind his head.

"Heiji?" Kazuha barged into the hospital room. She was holding a shopping bag full of clothes. Next to her came Sonoko, who had at least three bags, all full of clothes. She had put them in a wagon, which, by the looks of it, was just bought that day. Hattori, who was still supporting the hand shaped bruise, groaned and turned slowly to face the wall. Kazuha, however, had already seen the mark. "Heiji? What did you do this time?" Hattori gave her the evil eye, and remained silent.

"Kazuha-chan!" Ran smiled, her face looking genuinely happy. That look, however, did not last long. After sweeping the room, her eyes caught on the pondering Shinichi, and in a flash of light, her expression had morphed into one of worry. Kazuha frowned at Hattori, and Ran, seeing her look, whispered into her ear about what happened. Sonoko leaned in to hear, too.

"Kudo-san?"The nurse, Uehara Ami came in. Shinichi turned his head toward the nurse, and curtly gave a nod. "Since you are awake, we might as well give you scan. If you are very well out of the danger zone, you can go home to rest."At this Shinichi shifted, and slowly and gently sat himself up, careful not to hurt his stomach wound. The nurse went out to get the equipment, and measured his temperature first. 39.4(102.9). It wasn't a high fever anymore. Everyone in the room, excluding Shinichi, sighed with relief. She then proceeded to take off the shoulder bandage, and realized that this detective's body had fought off an infection in two days, plus healed almost an entire gunshot scrape in two days. Whatever miracle this was, she was glad. Shinichi yawned, and fought to stay awake. Everyone except the nurse shielded their eyes when she was taking off the bandage bound tightly on his abdomen. The wound was healing too fast. In a week, a deep wound like that should not be already a scab. Uehara's jaw dropped open in surprise, then came slamming up again.

"Ano, Uehara-san, is there something wrong?" Shinichi frowned, and looked down at his abdomen. He, too, had a double-take, but hid his expression. He shrugged with his good shoulder, and lied, "Maybe my body just heals fast," Shinichi knew that wasn't true. It probably had something to do with the APTX. He would ask Haibara later.

"Well, then, you can go home in one more day. We just want to make sure that you are not going to spike a high fever again," Uehara cheerfully spoke. She exited the room, and silence fell onto the five people. Shinichi drifted off to sleep, and Kazuha, Sonoko, and Ran (although reluctantly) left, Sonoko saying something about a store where they could buy shirts for their boyfriends, to which Kazuha and Ran once again had to tell her that they were childhood friends, and not in a relationship.

x

Shinichi groggily sat up, and winced in pain. Looking out the window, he found the sun almost down. He then saw Hattori reading a mystery novel. Hattori, hearing the rustle, snapped his head up.

"Yo, Kudo, how ya feelin'?" He said in his kansai-ben accent. His hat was still nestled on his head, and Shinichi snatched it off.

"Fine, thank you,"He snapped, annoyance evident in his voice. He threw the hat to him, and sighed.

"Yo, Kudo,"He grinned, trying to cheer him up, although the only thing he got back was a glare that said, 'shut up'. "Tell me, how did you find a way to your old body?" He continued despite the earlier glare he had received. Shinichi scowled, and crossed his arms~no, arm, and muttered, _  
_

"Shut up."

"Come on, Kudo," Hattori leaned back in his chair slowly, wincing as he did. Shinichi relented, knowing what would happen if he didn't.

" Haibara made a temporary antidote that lasts a week, no big deal," Shinichi muttered, then rubbed his eyes. "Where did all the girls go?"

"Ah, they went shoppin'. Said something about buying clothes for us. Not that I need any," Hattori replied, annoyed at Kazuha for no apparent reason. Girls and their girly things...

Shinichi snapped open his phone, and rolled down the contacts to Haibara Ai. He still needed to ask her about the APTX. He was just about to click on the call button when his 'Conan' phone vibrated. He rolled his eyes and picked it up. A message from Ayumi. He opened it, and read it with bored eyes.

Shinichi sighed and closed it without replying. He found a bag near his bed, or more precisely, his bag, and reached in without hurting himself. He pulled out his notebook and a pen. Picking up his phone, he clicked the call button, and waited. After what seemed like a few hours, there came the usual cool voice of Haibara Ai.

' _Hai? Agasa residence.'_ She sounded like she hadn't had enough sleep, which, in her situation, would be normal. Her tone also contained a usual shred of annoyance,

"Oi, Haibara, it's me," Shinichi spoke into the phone, another scowl on his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping the migraine would go away.

 _'Oh, Kudo-kun,'_ She stated, and yawned. _'I really need sleep, you know.'_

"I know, just need to ask you something," Shinichi answered, and pulled up the sheets more. He ran his hand through his hair, and scratched some notes onto his detective notebook.

 _'What is it?_ ' She questioned, her voice still cool and steady. ' _If it's about when you'll be released, no answer. If it's about the girl at the detective agency, also no answer.'_ Her voice was oozing with sarcasm now, and Shinichi tried hard not to roll his eyes again.

"Iie, it's about the APTX. I think it might have something to do with my abnormal fast recovery, and some things that may be linked to the organization,"Shinichi explained. There was a sound of someone setting down a cup, most likely a cup of tea. There were sounds of someone clacking away on a computer, a few more clicks, and silence.

 _'Go ahead,'_ She told the waiting Shinichi. Shinichi adjusted the phone, and shifted quite a bit. He ran through all that might help her. There was the shoulder. Who would shoot him? If it was Chianti or Korn, he definitely wouldn't be here right now. Those assassins had deadly aim; a shot from six hundred yards away could kill him. An amateur, then. Both wounds healed abnormally fast...too fast.

"Hai. First off, both of the wounds are healing too fast, and the fever which was caused by an infection was broken in three days," He started. Hattori resumed reading the mystery novel, and was soon lost in the book. Shinichi thought back. The incision was healing in a steady pace, three days and a scab. His shoulder had about the same time, and was also a scab. He frowned. He didn't need the oxygen mask in the first place, so, why?

"Oi, Hattori, I felt like I didn't need the oxygen mask, why did I have it on?" Shinichi reached as far as he could and tapped his shoulder. He mumbled,

"You were gasping for air," and turned back to reading. Shinichi threw him a glare, and spoke into the phone again.

"Haibara, you still there?" Shinichi called into the phone. There was a sigh, and a 'hai', and then,

' _What is it?'_ By her tone, Shinichi could already imagine her glaring at him.

"Do you think all this stuff was caused by the APTX? The recovery, I mean," He explained.

"Maybe," was her only answer. She hung up, leaving Shinichi staring at his phone.

x

Ran, Kazuha, and Sonoko stepped out of yet another store. They stared disapprovingly at the outfits on display in the glass window. None of them were either boys' style. Ran knew for sure Shinichi wouldn't appreciate black jeans and a black T-shirt that had no buttons on the top, thus showing a portion of his bare chest at all. Shinichi hated those types of stylish clothes, and would probably throw it in the trash if she did buy it for him.

"Over here!" Sonoko pointed at a store that seemed to have all the clothes they planned to buy. They ran across the street, and entered the shop. **(By the way, I hate shopping, so I don't really know how to describe it...I'll try my best)** There was a kids portion, a women's wear, and men's wear. They flocked to the men's section, pulling out numerous clothes to admire. Ran wandered to the sweaters, and immediately, a sweater caught her eye. It wasn't much, just a blue knitted sweater that had long sleeves. What caught her eye was the design. It looked like links, reminding Ran of their friendship. Looking around, she saw green ones and grey ones, too.

"Sonoko! Kazuha-chan!" She yelled, and waved. "You might like these sweaters!" She gestured to the sweaters, and they jogged over. They also laughed with delight, and a held a sweater up too. Ran absentmindedly traced the patterns, and thought of Shinichi. When would he truly be back? When would _their_ links of friendship reconnect? It was like they were groping in the dark, hoping in one lucky swipe, they would connect their chains. The lucky swipe hasn't come yet. How much longer would she have to wait? They were still in the dark, not knowing when the other person would cave in. They fumbled around, wildly, hoping the figure in front of them was the other person. But no. The object in front was a wall, a barrier, preventing them from reaching each other.

"Ran-chan?" Kazuha asked, concerned by her expression of melancholy. Ran broke out of her trance, and smiled to show she was fine. She picked it up, and imagined Shinichi in it. Hm, maybe the sweater was a bit too big...She switched to another smaller size. This one was perfect. She folded it, and tucked it underneath her armpit. She continued to shop, not knowing the danger around her...

 **Sorry if I took too long...I had writers block and basically stared at the screen when I was supposed to be writing... Okay, I'll make a schedule for updates:  
**

 **Monday: Start the next chapter for a story.**

 **Tuesday: Finish that chapter and publish it.**

 **Wednesday: Day off? Or maybe to write a one-shot? Or maybe plan? I don't know...**

 **Thursday:** ** **Start the next chapter for a story.** ****  
Friday:** **Finish that chapter and publish it.**  
 **  
**

 **Well...I'll try to stay with this schedule for the summer, but when school starts, I'll probably have to resort to one chapter a week. For me, school starts August tenth...**


	4. Chapter 4

**I had the worst luck in the world yesterday... First, my badminton birdie flew somewhere, so now I have to switch out the birdie that I have used...for a year or two? Anyways, then I scraped my side on the tree bad, but the catch is: I never hurt myself once while climbing trees. I guess it is the bad luck churning about... Then, in the evening, I scraped my shin, but I never hurt myself while rollerblading once either... Then, I forgot to practice one of my piano songs, and tried my best to play it right during piano class but failed... That was one of my most unlucky days..  
**

* * *

Shinichi was finally being released from the hospital, but not without instructions to stay in bed and rest. He wouldn't follow those ridiculous instructions anyways. Walking down the sidewalk next to Hattori, he sighed. It was going to be about twelve hours before he would shrink again, and then another week or so before he would be able to permanently stay his size; after staying in his normal body for a week, it would be seven days of torture to endure. Assuming that Haibara was fast. The words,

' _Give me approximately a week or so.'  
_

rang in his head. Approximately a week. Approximately. So she could either finish faster, but that was unlikely, or finish in more than seven days. Worst case scenario would be that she actually wouldn't be able to make it. If he died using the antidote, at least he would die as Kudo Shinichi, not Edogawa Conan. If she couldn't make it... Shinichi didn't want to talk about it. His foot caught on a ledge of the sidewalk cement block which was sticking out. He stumbled, and Hattori caught him with his good arm, although wincing because his wounded shoulder had still instinctively made a move, even though it didn't participate in catching Shinichi.

"Arigato," He mumbled. The continued dose of painkillers and antibiotics had made him woozy, so he wasn't really even walking, more like stumbling along. Hattori got off lighter with just a minor headache, and tried his best to lead the way through the unfamiliar city. They stopped at crossroad.

"Kudo? Left, right, or middle?" Hattori's eyes darted around, trying to figure out which road to take. Sadly, he couldn't use his detective skills to figure out other people's house. Leave that to the future generation when they probably would have GPS's implanted in their brains or something equally weird.

"Left. Then turn right, and then we're home. At least I'm home..." Shinichi tried his best to sound normal. He leaned against the traffic light pole for support, and yanked the cap Hattori had loaned him lower. They strolled across the street, and stopped on the other side of it.

"Kudo? Do we turn right over here?" Hattori pointed across the road intersecting with the one they just passed. Across started the quiet streets with quiet housesthat Shinichi had lived in. Had lived in. And would live in. He lived in it for a good sixteen years of his life, then was pushed to another familiar place, yet he had never lived there before. Now, in a week of time, he would be able to live where the memories grew and thrived again. Hattori stuck his hands in pockets, and waited for an answer.

"Hai, this road. Then just walk a few more meters, and then you'll see it," Shinichi said, and blinked. The world had just spun around, then squeezed in and out. He shook his head, and walked across the street, wiping sweat that was flowing down his chin in the process. He was baking in his cotton shirt, and couldn't wait to get home and take a shower or bath.

"Oi, Kudo, what was that?" Hattori asked concernedly. He put a hand on his shoulder, looking at his back. He watched a trickle of sweat make its way down the already glistening with sweat neck. Shinichi's checkered button-up swayed with the wind, signaling it was slightly too big for him. Hattori extracted his hand after the heat radiating from Shinichi's body was too much. If he didn't bring down the fever soon...the shrinking would cause him extreme temperatures again, and with Ran intending to stay at his house, they were going to have to rig up a good excuse to get rid of her this time.

"Nandemonai, nandemonai," he answered, waving back a dismissive wave. They continued walking, until Shinichi's footsteps gave away to an abrupt halt.

"Is this your house?" Hattori looked up at the two-storied mansion. Although no one had occupied it for a year, the plants still hadn't wilted. The windows gleamed with the unbridled sunlight, and he could see everything inside clearly; not a speck of dust. There was a darting of a shadow, and they both tensed up. They, however, were relieved when a smiling Ran came to open the gate and door inside. Kazuha came outside, too.

"Heiji! I brought your stuff! We're gonna stay here for a few weeks! Maybe we could transfer ta their Teitan High!" she held up Hattori's duffel bag and gestured to a few suitcase on the floor. Her hair was in her usual hairstyle of a ponytail, and she had on a sweeping red skirt with a pink T-shirt. Ran's hair was swept by the wind, and flew like kites in front of Kazuha. Her Teitan uniform skirt also followed suit, and she quickly patted it down.

"A-Ahou! Are ya crazy? Why would we want to transfer ta Kudo's and neechan's high school? We have our own, ya know?" Hattori sputtered, although inwardly agreeing with the idea. He was agreeing with the idea, not Kazuha. No way would he agree with that dumb ahou, although secretly, he did like her. Deep down. Too cowardly to admit it. He glared at her just to cover it up. Kazuha looked miffed.

"Well I thought transferring would be a good idea; ya could be with Kudo-kun, and I could be with Ran-chan! AHOU!" She ended her sentence by turning around, dragging the luggage upstairs, and sitting it in one of the guest rooms Ran had introduced her to. She came back, and dragged Ran upstairs.

x

It was finally settled. Hattori and Kazuha were transferring to Teitan High. The four teenagers sat in the Kudo mansion's large living room blowing off steam by their own methods. Kazuha and Ran sat in the corner, giggling over some pictures that were online. Shinichi led Hattori to his vast library, where countless shelves full of refreshing and curious pages sat in their covers. Rows after rows of books that would suck you right into them occupied the shelves that were noble enough to hold them, and Shinichi went up to them.

'Squeak!' came the encouraging sound of the opening of the glass cases. Shinichi threw one at Hattori, who was still looking around in amazement. He caught it, narrowly missing what would have been at least a bloody nose. Shinichi then selected one for himself, and they went up into his room, flopped onto the bed, and was immediately drawn into the book.

After an hour at most, the phone rang. Shinichi groaned, and lazily shouted down,

"Oi Ran! Answer the phone for me, will you?" There was a muffled reply of yes, and silence was the only thing in the room again. There then was thumping as someone ascended the staircase.

"Shinichi? The phone's for you," Ran called from the doorway, the phone in her hands. Shinichi sighed and put down the book, carefully marking it by folding its corner. He heaved himself up and walked to the door. The fever and the wooziness had seemed to be washed away by reading a few hundred delicate pages. Accepting the phone, he walked back and dropped himself back onto the bed.

"Moshi-moshi?" Shinichi spoke into the phone. He got up and went to his desk. Looking out the window, he listened to Agasa Hakase as he spoke fearfully into the phone. He said there was a package that was addressed to Kudo Shinichi that was not in Shinicihi's mail today, but in _his_. He said he opened it and first found a letter that was addressed to: Kudo Shinichi, also known as Edogawa Conan. The overweight professor also said that Haibara confirmed it to be Vermouth's writing, and was currently down in the basement trying to repress shivers. Shinichi paled so drastically that Ran was already hurrying over, asking him what was wrong.

"R-Ran, I need to go to the Hakase's for a while. Don't follow me no matter what. Hattori, you need to come too," he weakly said. Hattori jumped up and followed him out. Shinichi raced down the staircase, skipping two steps a time. He opened his door, sprinted to the gate, and opened it up with a bit too much force. He sprinted next door, and let himself in. Behind him, Hattori followed, yelling,

"Oi, Kudo! Matte!"

"Where is it?" Shinichi demanded. Hakase pointed to a innocent-looking box on their kitchen counter. He walked over, and opened it cautiously. The note that Hakase told him about was there, and it was written in fancy, curly writing.

 _ **'Kudo Shinichi, also known as Edogawa Conan,**_

 _ **You seek revenge, don't you?**_

 _ **I'll tell you how under the full bright moon.**_

 _ **You want to bring us down, don't you?**_

 _ **I want to send them askew, too.**_

 _ **Because I want out,**_

 _ **I will help.**_

 _ **Meet me at Central Haido Bridge**_

 _ **when the moon shines bright**_

 _ **and when the clock strikes twelve,**_

 _ **Silver Bullet-kun.'**_

Underneath the letter, in a small box in the big box, it encased a bottle of Vermouth.

"T-this is..." Shinichi stared at the letter in shock. _Vermouth_ wants _out_? And she wants him to meet her? Couldn't this be a hoax to lure him out?

"Vermouth never lies unless have to, and this is not a have to," Haibara said, suddenly right next to him. Shinichi jumped a mile high, before scowling and said,

"Oi, Haibara, don't make me jump like that!" She took the Vermouth and spilled it on the paper. All it did was become soaking wet.

"See? She isn't lying. If she was, there would be something underneath. Yet there's not," Haibara coldly said. She checked the time. "There will be a few more minutes before you turn back to Edogawa Conan, Kudo-kun." Shinichi sat down on the couch, and waited for the pain spasms to start. Yet they didn't. After a half an hour of silence, Shinichi nervously said,

"Haibara? Maybe this was the permanent antidote? Because I don't think that I'll be shrinking any time soon."

"Baka! That can't be!" She lashed out in panic. She ushered Shinichi into the lab, Hattori in the rear, and checked him all over. Finally, she said,"Yes, this was the final antidote. You are now Kudo Shinichi unless you turn back again." Shinichi let out a cry of joy, and danced back up the stairs.

"Well," he said, finally sobering up in the living room, "I will go meet her." Haibara's face hardened, but she didn't object. This could be their chance to take them down, once and for all. He got up again, and left the house.

x

"Shinichi? What's wrong?" Ran asked Shinichi as he went into the house. Flopping down on the couch, he said,

"I'm back, and I won't be leaving again."

"Then, that means, the case is solved?" Ran excitedly asked him. Finally, finally, he was back for good. Then she remembered his reaction on the phone. If he was back and the case was solved, then his paling wasn't necessary. He could've sighed, whooped, something other than paling.

"Iie, I'm back, but the case isn't solved yet," He said, a fake smile on his face. Ran sighed, said okay, and left the room. Shinichi's face hardened.

No, the case was far from solved.


	5. Chapter 5

**Updates are going to be less frequent, maybe two weeks a chap? I can't tell you exactly. It might take less, it might take more. So don't get your hopes too high...  
**

 **Oh, and, I think I'm going to change my pen name to yellow-greenorchid1419...so don't be shocked at the difference.**

x

Shinichi stood on the sidewalk, strumming his fingers nervously on the rail of Haido Central Bridge. He huddled, shivering, in a hoodie. Yanking the hood down more, he listened to the cars sped by, sigh after sigh emitting from a weary engine. The streetlights shone, weakening the beam of reflected light coming from the ancient moon. A wind swept by, signaling the start of autumn, and signaling the sign of school. His hood blew off, and he hurriedly covered up his face again. He relaxed again. Shinichi yawned, and stretched, careful not to let his hood fall off once more. He glanced at his watch. Vermouth was late by a minute. It was funny to think that Vermouth would choose a place, where even in the dead of night people would speed by. Shinichi leaned against the rail, staring at the passing cars. A blue one passed, then a white one that looked yellow in the flickering streetlight. A honk of a horn, then someone accelerating at the sound of it. There was a black motorcycle, which nearly made Shinichi fall into the swirling ice-cold river beneath. It rammed straight at Shinichi, to which he yelped, and scrambled backwards in a desperation to save his precious dear life. The motorcycle, however, stopped abruptly, skidding until it was one millimeter away from Shinichi's legs. He sighed with relief, and his body loosened again. The figure on the motorcycle popped her helmet off, revealing bouncing gold curls. A smile devoid of emotion was on the woman's face.

"Vermouth..." Shinichi looked at her, his face hardened. He got rid of all his emotions that were whelming him, drowning him in, allowing only serious to stay. His face had a look of pure concentration, though inside, he was feeling very nervous. Here he was, one step away from killing the roaring beast. One step away from curing the snake of revenge in him. One step away from changing his future. One step away from living in happiness, knowing that there wasn't a shady crime syndicate watching his every step, listening on to his every words, following him from every shadow, tracking every newspaper and radio broadcast about him. No, he was one step away from freedom.

"Silver Bullet-kun," Vermouth stated, her voice twisted sickly sweet and filled with a mockery. She stepped off her motorcycle, and sauntered to Shinichi with an air around her that Shinichi knew was familiar. She had an air of an actress, a good one, around her. The presence filled Shinichi with an involuntary longing for his ditch-him-in-Japan-then-leave-for-America mother. She took her place, leaning against the railing next to Shinichi. Slipping down until she was sitting in the shadow between the railing and the sidewalk, she smiled. Shinichi noticed how she blended into the shadows with ease, her black outfit aiding her greatly.

"You asked for me," Shinichi began, tearing his eyes off her outfit and gazed into the murky water. He wrenched his hood farther down, and hoped the autumn chills would float away, bringing his problems away with it. Sadly, that was not possible. He looked back, and stared at the actress intensely, as if willing the information to just come spilling out of her. She regarded him with a frown, as if knowing what he wanted her to do. After several minutes of extreme inspection, her face relaxed and she pulled on a poker face.

"Hai, I certainly did," she confirmed. She wrapped her arms around her legs, and leaned against the railing, although she was leaning much lower than Shinichi, who was standing up. She started to speak in fluent English. "Silver Bullet-kun, there shall be a delivery. Use it wisely." With that, she was gone, leaving Shinichi to his own thoughts.

x

Shinichi was used to hiding his emotions. When Ran wanted to stay at his house, he just blushed like a normal boy would. No one knew, maybe except Hattori, that inside, he was cursing and swearing, making a rampage. She would figure out everything, and then confront him, and then it would be another person dragged into the war. So, Ran was bad enough. But when the Shonen Tantei suddenly barged in, asking him to play with him, and explaining they already knew his secret, Shinichi exploded.

"HAIBARA! WHO DO YOU THINK THEY ARE? INNOCENT CHILDREN THAT HAVE NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER TO WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING! YOU DRAGGED ANOTHER UNNECESSARY GROUP INTO THE WAR!" Shinichi bellowed, gesticulating wildly at the children who were staring at him in shock. Haibara stood in front of him, calm as usual, and replied,

"They made me tell them. They aren't stupid, they can work out that something's going on." Shinichi faltered at that, and lowered his hands. He shamefully rubbed his neck, looking at the children. Sheepishly, he bowed and apologized to them, and scurried off, saying something about tea.

"Conan-kun..." Ayumi frowned at the spot that Shinichi was once standing at. _'No wonder why he seemed to like Ran-onesaan... Because he was her childhood friend all along.'_ Still, she straightened up, and smiled. ' _I wish them happiness...'_

"I still can't believe that Conan-kun was Kudo Shinichi all along! No wonder he was so smart!" One very excited Tsubaraya Mitsuhiko exclaimed with glee. "He could teach us all about being a good detective!" Genta and Ayumi joined in with excitement, giggling with joy and clapping hands. From the corner, Haibara observed the happy children like a scientist would observe the stars, with patience and with determination to find out more. Haibara, in a way, was like that. She almost had no childhood. All of her life, she was working on chemistry, without any doubt that that was the only safe haven, her only home. Then she'd have nightmares. About her home burning down, thread of knowledge completely severed. She would stumble around wildly, finding a way to her lab, maybe find something that would help? Then she would see an image of her parents, reaching out, but being pulled into the mass of unforgiving flames. She would stand there, with flames licking her ankles, staring at the spot her own flesh and blood had vanished. Disappeared. Suddenly, there would be a flashing of silver, and then a spurt of blood, and then she'd find herself clutching at her chest. She instantly would whirl around and find a wicked-looking Gin. With a little push, she would be falling, falling into the flames. Then she'd wake up, all drenched in sweat.

She didn't have the freedom, to roam around, going camping, like any other living child would. No, she had never even held hands with anyone, except for a formal handshake. Haibara would look down in surprise when she saw Ayumi's hand suddenly grasped in her own pudgy little baby hands. She'd smile, warmly, and think about how lucky she was to even be having fun. Even if she knew the antidote was completed, she would stay a child. Live a close to normal life. Live a blessed second childhood. Try to make friends.(Which, in her opinion, was entirely impossible.)

Haibara tried copying their ways, acting like a child, but would revert and sink back into her iciness to which most people, and all people, were familiar with. She tried running around, laughing, sort of following Ayumi. No such luck. Her mind would be instantly trampled with chemistry. Chemistry this, and chemistry that. Occasionally, a trickle of memories from her old life would make its way into her reluctant and overfilled brain. That was when she would go deep into her outward facade. Tell them to play without her. Then she would quietly sit in her room, and try to stop the flow by drafting antidote ideas, all which would probably end up in a big explosion.

"And I can't believe Haibara-san is actually a brilliant scientist that helped Conan-ku~Shinichi-oniisan get back to his old body!" Mitsuhiko grinned somewhat proudly at Haibara. She jumped. She hadn't told them that... She looked up. In the door frame stood a grinning Shinichi. The Shonen Tantei grinned too. "Haibara-san? Are you going to return to your, erm, original body?" Mitsuhiko asked, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"Eh? Iie, I want to give childhood a second try," she confessed. The children stared at her in confusion. She bit her lip, and started, smoothing out the edges. "I grew up in a shady syndicate. You guys, do not find out what that means. I grew up around bad people. They killed people and was just generally...evil. I was always surrounded by chemistry, and my father and mother were also dark. I never really got time to really...be a child..." She tried to shape her words into something that was understandable and processable to their young minds. She also didn't want to taint their souls with what darkness she once had.

"Oi, Haibara!" Shinichi scowled at her, still very much furious with her. It wasn't like he had any choice; they weren't living a fantasy. He couldn't magically make the young detectives lose their memory. If they knew it, they knew it. He actually hadn't gone to get some tea; rather go to his room and start yelling and screaming obscenities and punching the wall so hard that it made a dent. His bruised fists were still throbbing with pain, hidden deep inside protective jean pockets. Ran had woken up from a nap, which was because she and Kazuha had gone shopping again, shopping until the moon was pale and the stars were fading, and collapsing on their futons. Shinichi had stuffed himself onto the bed and feigned sleep. She had shrugged and gone back to sleep.

"Nani?" She sighed, giving him a piercing glare that meant death.

"Just~Oh, never mind," He said, and went up to his room.

"Shinichi-oniisan looks tired," Ayumi observed, a hint of sadness in her voice.

x

Shinichi was on his third cup of coffee. The clock ticked away, each minute gaining its strength to return daylight to the neighborhood. Two o'clock, Shinichi read the clock with the few seconds he could spare. The case he received just wasn't making sense. The family all had no alibi's, but then at the same time they did. Some said they saw them in a group, a big, flashy group, with bright purple shirts and pink shoes. Others said they saw them, but wearing black suits as if just running from a funeral. Numerous settled on the idea of them wearing loud Hawaiian T-shirts and leather loafers. They all knew their faces, having either taken a picture for them or something else. Shinichi thought of this as those tricks that were often explainable, but no matter what, this was an exception. The haunting thought of the clean job presented by the shady syndicate really wanted to make him hide under the covers. No matter if this could be a really intricate design, because it just simply couldn't. This was a solid, clean job. It just looked like the victim had died by natural causes, only the bullet in his neck leading to the confirmation of a murder. It couldn't have been a suicide, simply because it was impossible, nearly impossible for him to reach all around, and shoot himself in the neck. Another reason was the way he was lying. A dead body couldn't move itself so that it was looking out the window, looking normal. they would go limp, having absolutely no time to look normal.

Shinichi knew this was a clean job done by the Black Organization.


	6. Chapter 6

**I survived my first week of school! And adjustments, and all...so yeah, slow updates.**

 **And I got home, did my homework, and...went to play this game that I can't include because it won't appear ...it's a cool game...**

 **Sorry?**

* * *

"Shinichi!" Ran called upstairs to the still snoozing detective, who had stayed up all night working on the case. Ran looked down at the black package. It had no labels; just a rectangular black cardboard box that was just...plain black. Ran frowned. Would it really be a bomb? Sure, it looked intimidating, but something about it gave a wave of peace. Why was Shinichi still not up yet anyway? It was already past noon, and Kazuha and Hattori had left on what Ran teased: ' _A date',_ but Kazuha claimed was just a day of fun at Tropical Land, no romance involved. Hattori had wholeheartedly agreed, bobbing his head up and down until the veins in his neck popped out with vigor. Even though it was dead winter, they had gone wearing nothing but a T-shirt (Hattori) or blouse (Kazuha), declaring that they ' _would be as hot as boiled water'_ when they got back. Thus they set off as if it was summer, Kazuha clinging onto a red-faced Hattori all the way until they were out of sight, her teeth chattering but refusing to get a jacket.

Ran heard rustling. Shinichi, who had apparently slept in his school uniform, stumbled sleepily and wearily down the stairs. He yawned so tiredly that Ran regretted ever waking him up. His hair stuck out in wild directions, and his uniform was folded and crinkled in all places. He flopped down onto the couch where Ran was still scolding herself mentally and repeating an apology in her mind to Shinichi.

"What is it, Ran?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes, still stressing out over the case. "Is it really that important that you have to wake me up before Kazuha and Hattori have even waken~"

"Actually, Shinichi," she interjected. "You are the one who went past curfew; they left an hour ago to Tropical Land, it's past noon already." Shinichi frowned, before glancing up at the living room clock, his 'Conan' watch was being modified by the Hakase to fit his now enlarged wrist. Why was he...oh, right, the case. He hadn't solved one bit of it, except concluding that the Black Organization was responsible. It had made him so much more aware.

The syndicate was on the move.

Last time it got into the newspaper about his fever, Haibara had scolded him in a deadly quiet manner, so malicious that he hoped she would just shout at him instead; she didn't seem human at all in those times.

"Just tell me what it is," Shinichi glared, his insides aching to work on the case again.

"Someone delivered this..." Ran said, and fearfully pushed the black package toward him over the glass table. Shinichi's eyes narrowed at it, and Ran saw anger flash through his eyes~or was it just a trick of light? Ran heard Shinichi hiss, his teeth clenched,

" _Vermouth..._ " Taking the package, he half-bounced half-stormed up the stairs, now fully awake. His bedroom door, was for once, slammed.

x

Shinichi calmed down immediately. He inspected the dark-looking package that could contain gold for any danger. Deciding it was safe, he tore it open slowly. Inside, sheets and sheets of paper were grouped up into countless manila folders, and stacked upon each other messily, and crammed into a shoe box for what looked like one of his mother's favorite brand of shoes. Yanking the shoe box out, he tentatively lifted the cover and opened a file, as if expecting an alien to come out.

In a a way, an alien _did_ come out.

Rows of digits and letters occupied countless sheets of paper in columns, rows, graphs, charts, and symbols were strewn across hand-written notes. There was a letter encased in an equally black envelope, which Shinichi decided to have a peek at first. Scratching at the tip of the wrapping, he slowly peeled it until it was completely free. Shaking a surprisingly rose-pink card out of the envelope the color of the night sky, he unfolded the greeting which was creased into fourths; not a classic card.

' ** _Kudo Shinichi,_** _'_ It started with furling and unfurling gold curls. Shinichi immediately knew Vermouth hand-wrote this. She definitely was an actress at heart, even if the purpose of being an actress was cruel.

' _ **Encased in this labyrinth are many useful things,**_ ' It continued. A labyrinth, huh? That was true, Shinichi realized. But only in a way. If this was all data about the syndicate, how much would he have to search? Just for one thing? He might get lost in them, too. Sizing up the piles, he realized that there were to be among a few thousand papers. This was certain death. And where's Hattori when you need him? At an amusement park riding on roller coasters with his beloved! Imagining the hot-blooded detective swiping at him, he quickly demolished the thought, in hopes that it wouldn't come true.

Shinichi skipped the rest of the card, dreading to read the rest. He picked up a sheaf of papers that seemed to have an infinite amount of numbers and letters organized in columns, with pictures around it, swirling and swirling around. He skimmed the first page. His eyes stumbled over a photo, that identified someone, precisely:

Gin.

Shinichi, although having returned to his normal body, still hated the sight of the person who carved a chunk out of his life using one single pill. In one single hour. No, he didn't wear him down bit by bit like the water weathers rocks, but rather like and earthquake. Quick and abrupt, yet causing so much damage, even it was to one person. It would branch out, slowly engulfing everyone in the sullen waves.

The Gin in the picture still had golden hair, so Shinichi had a feeling that it was taken around the time he shrunk, maybe it a bit farther than that. But he couldn't be sure. With all the stuff they knew, and how to do it, they could've somehow modified his hair to golden just in the picture...yes, they could have photo-shopped it. He frowned. If Vermouth truly wanted to help, why leave him a false trail? If she wanted 'out' desperately, wouldn't she somehow hint him that the picture was false?

But you never know.

Vermouth could be toying with him, like how a baby slaps his hanging toys. Laughing at it, beating it with its pudgy little fists. Reaching up for it, and playing some more. As it swings, his hammy hands would dodge it, laughing gleefully as it swung around in the dark, trying to find its owner, ruler.

But then again, you never know.

x

"RAN! RAN!" Shinichi jumped as the front door banged open. He frowned, (seriously, even he himself knew that he was frowning too much) and got up from his aching knees who had been crushed by his weight while he plowed through endless charts, graphs, and lists. Gathering all the information into a messy pile hastily, Shinichi stuffed them swiftly but delicately under his bed, where there was hardly any available space left. Turning the knob, he peered down at the intruder from upstairs.

A red-faced Mouri Kogoro stood there, panting but still shouting and screaming his head off. He had a paternal look in his eyes, and his stance reminded Shinichi the times when Kogoro had flipped the criminals over his shoulder. His murderous look swung around the mansion, in the kitchen then the library, then towards the stairs.

"KUDO SHINICHI! TANTEI BOZOU! WHERE IS RAN?" He screeched, shaking his fists at him, almost punching his own face. His voice rivaled a chicken's screaming as someone choked it. **(That came from a Chinese phrase, roughly translated as...step on the chicken's neck? I don't know...)  
**

"O-Otousan!" Ran blushed, embarrassed, at her dad. Kogoro leaped his victory leap at her from the doorway, and crashed into her barricade, the couch, instead. Rising from the floor, he shook her in an unnecessary violent way.

"Did he do anything to you? Did he? Did he?"

"Otousan! Why would he?"

"Ah..." Kogoro scratched his head. Ran sighed.

"Go, otousan. I'm just taking care of him and Kazuha-chan and Hattori-kun..." She gently led her father to the door, and prodded him out with a scowl. Shutting the door, she went back to the couch.

x

Shinichi's eyes widened. This was more than he bargained for, in a good way. There were lists of every member, where they were, age, real name, (in which Shinichi couldn't even imagine Gin's hilarious name, Sumisu Keito, which translates as Smith Kate...)

He smiled.

This was going to be a successful battle.

* * *

 **Okay, I admit, short chapter. But I really want to get this other idea down, and then play ...Lol  
**


	7. Chapter 7

It was early morning, barely dawn. The cool, fresh morning air seeped through the half-open blinds in Shinichi's room. Meekly peeking from within the clouds, the sun slowly made its daily routine up the sky. Early birds sang from the fog-covered trees, and another day was beginning. But Shinichi didn't care about this. He had stayed up all night with Hattori jotting down notes, making copies of, and decoding the papers Vermouth had mysteriously mailed to him. They were still at it, and hadn't had a single nap since twenty-four hours ago. The amount of papers were overwhelming, but the information on it was crowded on rows and rows~it made it seem like Vermouth didn't have enough paper to put all the information on, and had resorted to cramming everything on a few thousand sheaves of paper. They had started with all the members, where they were stationed, their status in the syndicate, and bunches of excess stuff that they didn't need to know~it took about five hours. Then they had started on all the categories inside the organization. There were major ones, then split into minor ones, then ones with a few people, and finally individual assignments. They had barely finished using the first few hundred sheets when dawn broke.

"Hattori!" Shinichi nudged Hattori hard in the side to prevent him from falling into no doubt deep sleep. He was tired, too. But he had learned to deal with whatever life threw at you. This basically meant he could push himself till he broke into teeny tiny pieces.

Hattori blinked owlishly. Muttering an apology, he turned his focus back to a pile a paper that he and Shinichi were devouring.

"Say, Kudo," He started. Shinichi gestured for him to go on, still frowning at the sheet of paper he was currently trying to memorize. "How do you… How are you so strong?" Shinichi looked up, then averted Hattori's questioning gaze while he thought about it.

"I just…guess I am. Life threw boulders at me. I pushed them back. Some may have shattered bones and hearts, but it's…life. You never know. Just be on constant alert," he finally said, although Hattori sensed hesitance in his voice. He knew this was only a fraction of the truth. But he knew Shinichi would never tell him the whole thing. He knew he wouldn't understand everything he was going to say, and he probably wouldn't have the experience to help him and give him sympathy. This motivated him to hold his tongue, and forget it with a wave of his hand.

Shinichi's eyes were caught in glue when they found the codename:

Sherry.

He was immediately thinking of Haibara. The picture next to it was indefinite proof. It surprisingly stated not only her real name, but also her current name, Haibara Ai. This got him scanning shadows, and for his comfort, got up and swept his palm across his walls, checking for bugs. If they knew _that_ much about Haibara, chances were no doubt they knew about him, too.

And if they did...

x

Ran and Kazuha crept up to make the boys a surprise breakfast. They were frozen, however, when they heard the boys, more specifically Shinichi, talking.

"...threw boulders at me. I pushed them back. Some may have shattered bones and hearts, but it's…life. You never know. Just be on constant alert," They heard his quiet voice speak to Hattori. Well, they assumed it was Hattori, because they were pretty sure Shinichi wasn't crazy. They eased their ears against the door, although no more was said.

They looked at each other, then decided to ignore it. With the weight of the words Shinichi had uttered, they began making breakfast with their soaring imagination still trying to figure out what the hell Shinichi had meant.

"Ran-chan?" Kazuha looked over at Ran, who was concentrating on adding just the right amount of ingredients to form a cake. She looked up.

"Hai, Kazuha-chan?" Ran said, smiling.

"What do you think Kudo-kun meant? Who was throwing boulders at him? How and what was shattering his bones and hearts?" She wondered.

"I honestly...don't know..." Ran said, tilting her head sideways. "If it was Hattori-kun, what do you think he would've meant?" She was worried about Shinichi. He was being cryptic, so cryptic that he seemed far away. That he never came back. She had no idea what he meant. He had changed so much, she wanted to march up to him and check if he really _was_ Kudo Shinichi. The baka she had known since her earliest memories. Except now he didn't seem like a baka now. No, he had changed...matured. Ran never thought she would say that, but here she was.

"If it was Heiji...I'd think he was talking about some video game," Kazuha put a finger to her chin. "Like, some character would throw boulders at him, and he had to push them back. He probably had to keep track of how many lives and bones he lost and broke...Except this isn't Heiji," she finished with a frown. She marveled how much difference Heiji and Shinichi had, and she really wanted Heiji to mature into Shinichi's shape. But she knew everyone was different. So it was pretty much hopeless.

"You're right...let's just go with your theory for now," Ran settled it with a bang of the oven door. She tried to ignore the part about life and constant alert, contenting herself with blanketing the dining table with a crimson table spread. They were doing this for a cause~Valentines Day. How could they ignore such a lovely holiday? Well, at least in their opinion, it was lovely. They had no idea the boys upstairs were struggling with a crime syndicate that seemed to be anything but lovely...

"That would be a good idea," Kazuha agreed as they walked back to the kitchen.

They leaned on the kitchen counter, chatting quietly, occasionally giggling, waiting for the cake to bake.

When the pleasant ding! was finally vibrating around the room, they abruptly stopped, and bustled around to get ready. With excellent teamwork, they got the burning cake out, and started decorating the cake made out of love.

Ran spread jam thickly as a start, grape jam, if you mind. It gave the cake glossy coat, which was how their life began. Gliding on a smooth surface of ice, until you were suddenly sliding down bumpy hills and shooting across valley. It wasn't on purpose; it was just because they believed that jam would give it a strong structure once it hardened. But once the girls realized their mistake, they had been already done with decorating.

Deciding to split up the labor, they agreed to first have Ran tidy the house (as quietly as possible) and Kazuha continue making breakfast. Normally it would've been the other way around, but Kazuha insisted the she was more stealthy, and maybe could successfully peek at the boys, then report back.

And that was just how it went. Ran, already familiar with all the nicks and crannies in the Kudo mansion, didn't hesitate and boldly snatched up some rags, and a bucket. She started cleaning up the stairs, until finally, she was at the door where the boys spoke in hushed whispers, hearing the pots and pans clanging in a horrible sync. Ran once again eased herself against the door, trying her best to make out their murmurs.

"...found out about Haibara...knows about me, too..." Ran heard Shinichi speak seriously, but still in whispers.

"...Vodka is dull...Vermouth sent you..." She heard Hattori whisper back frantically, as if to quickly calm Shinichi down. Ran felt like she had heard enough, and doing so, she slowly crept down the stairs, her thoughts whirling around like a hurricane.

x

"SHINICHI!" Ran backed him up to a wall. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN?"

"I-I could ask you the same thing," he told her matter-of-factly, fighting back a yawn that would probably of split his head in half. He was still dressed in yesterday's clothes, and even the stupidest person ever to live could probably figure out that he did not sleep. Ran eyed him ferociously, then both girls brightened up.

The scenario finally ended when Shinichi and Hattori blinked, a face full of frosting and cake.

The girls were also blinking, rather embarrassed.

An agreement was made: The boys would shower and change, the girls would clean up the kitchen, then they would go out to a restaurant to eat breakfast.

x

 **(If the scene is a bit off, tell me. I live in California, and it never snows except in the mountains...)**

They walked down the street, hands deep in their cozy pockets, huddled in a group. Though the girls were wedged tightly between the boys, they were too cold to care~the boys were a heater and that was that. Big, puffy jackets hung off the girls, whereas the boys wore something light, nothing much. The boys couldn't really blame the girls; it was going to be a White Valentines. Sharp icy winds blew by, rendering their senses almost useless. They were grateful, very grateful, when the tingling bell of the selected restaurant led them to a blast of cozy warmth against the frostbitten outdoors.

They were seated politely, next to a window, and stared in awe at the swirling masses of glittering snow. It was beautiful, and tugged painfully at their hearts. A thousand diamonds couldn't describe these massive flurries of twinkling beauty. Subconsciously glancing down at the menu, everyone felt that coffee was a great start. The rest could be thought of later.

"Konnichiwa," A girl shyly approached their table. Everyone did a double-take, including the girl. Excluding hair-length, the girl was practically identical to Ran!

"Konnichiwa," Ran smiled at her. They seemed similar, but Ran's eyes, along with everyone else's, bulged out of their head at the sight of the boy following behind her. To say that the boy and Shinichi were identical was an understatement. They were practically the same person.

"Yes, yes, Aoko, you leave me to go to some stranger's table...yeah, I'm totally feeling the love," He muttered, a mock pout tugging childishly at his mouth.

"BAKAITO! WHO SAID ANYONE LOVED YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?" The girl, identified as Aoko screeched at him. The weight of everyone's eyes on her caused her to apologize, red blossoming on her cheeks.

"Sumimasen, your name is..." Shinichi stared at the boy.

* * *

 **So that is finally finished...just wanted to tell all you guys, a one-shot will probably making its way to you, so stay tuned!  
**

 **I'm out.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry, got caught up...so reset, it's going to be two weeks an update again. Forget that missing week or two. I realized I haven't done a case yet, so I decided to try my best to make a good one.  
**

* * *

"Kuroba Kaito, magician," Kaito bowed, a red rose appearing in his waiting hands. Handing it to him, Shinichi couldn't help but think the guy as Kaito KID. He hadn't and would never forget the time Kaito KID dressed up as him, without a mask, and managed to pass. He had been so angry; he, the real Shinichi, was standing in front of him, and there a guy was, thinking he was safe. He had to be Kaito KID. There aren't that many people with the same faces. Kaito, sensing the icy glare on his head, grinned and plopped down, the poker face working its magic.

"Wanna eat breakfast together on this lovely White Valentine, Aoko?" He faked a plead at her so dramatically Hattori was sniggering behind his hand. Shinichi, however, hardened his glare. Aoko nervously looked at Ran. She smiled.

"Come on, Aoko-chan," She beckoned for her to sit next to her. Smiling herself, she plopped happily down, merry to find new friends.

"Arigato, I wasn't planning to spend this special day with that bozo anyway," she jabbed her thumb at the magician who was looking at the pink, sparkly ceiling of the warm bakery with his arms crossed and pout tugging at his lips. The facade did not last a single second. Kaito, in a literal flash, pulled up some chairs from a vacant table used for a reserved group. Since they were long gone, Shinichi didn't see the point why they kept it empty. The restaurant knew~at least he hoped they knew~that people were going to pour in today. So why not make some more profit and leave it public? But at least he now was able to have a good chat with Kaito KID...

"Ah!" Aoko's eyes widened. "Aren't you Kudo Shinichi? Just like Saguru-san! Meitantei-san!" Shinichi shushed her, not willing to direct dangerous and unwanted attention to himself.

"Except Hakuba's a pile of horse dung, and Shinchi's at least just above it, maybe the horse butt?" Kaito suggested with such innocence everyone except Aoko and Shinichi doubled over in silent laughter.

"Kaito!" Aoko scolded him.

"Gomen," she said apologetically to Shinichi, who had to crack a slight grin on his face. Maybe the bad day would be over now.

"It's alright," He reassured her.

"Okay..." she glanced at Kaito through the corner of her eye. When she turned away to chat with Ran, Kaito started pouring vinegar and salts, sugars and soy sauce onto a piece of warm toast. He added some things that to Shinichi were too fast to categorize. The result was an ashen, black face with two round white holes as eyes, glittering with an emotion only jokesters would have. Soot from the exploded toast wafted over to Shinichi, who frowned at Kaito.

"Kaito! Please don't ruin it!" Aoko begged with genuine sadness. Kaito rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, faked a thinking pose, then dramatically made his reply in slow motion.

"Oookaaayyy," He looked at her with a goofy grin. Aoko gave the teeniest smile that pulled her lips up.

"How come they two have practically twins, but I get no one?" Hattori muttered so the everyone could hear it at the table but no where else.

"Fate, mi amigo," Kaito replied from a sudden position of behind him. He clapped a hand on his shoulder, knocking the wind out of Hattori. Hattori glared.

"Ne, Aoko-chan?" Ran started. "Are you...the daughter of Nakamori-keibu?"

"Hai, Hai!" She clapped her hands cheerfully, happy someone finally figured it out. "Otousan, I tell you, will catch that Kaito KID the next time!" She immediately launched into her speech fondly about her 'failing' dad. As she gave her short speech, her fist was threatening to punch the image of Kaito KID, swinging violently up and down.

Kaito sighed and rolled his eyes. When would that girl learn that her dad was _not_ going to catch him any time soon? Besides, if she knew he was right next to her...

Shinichi noted Kaito's behavior. Strike two, he was getting closer to the truth that he was definitely KID. Although somehow, he didn't have the grudge against him. He hadn't caused him any trouble, heck, he had barely even seen him before. He was also somehow a friend~he felt this bond, although he didn't know why. It just felt like the FBI. Everyone was family, because they all shared a secret and they all sought to protect it. It felt like glue and paper. Once you suck two papers together, waited for a short while, they would be permanently stuck. They would share a same body, same thoughts, same sanity. Kaito did nothing wrong to him. He was a friend. Somehow, he didn't care if he was Kaito KID anymore. He just had that burning sensation as another piece of his soul was put together. He felt like a brother, but Shinichi had to face the truth. He was a detective. He was supposed to lock the right people behind bars, not become friends with them. As the toast and jelly was put on the table, Shinichi took the time to get Kaito three pieces of toast. **(As far as things are going, NO this is not going to be KaiShin. Nice guess, though.)**

"Arigato," Kaito managed to mumble under the thick layers of toast and grape jelly as he sat back down.

"Iie, iie," Shinichi grinned back. Maybe he could somehow become friends and also be suspicious...

"What else did we order?" Ran hoped to break up the upcoming brothership, because frankly, she wasn't sure if they were ever going to meet again. And if they didn't, Shinichi was going to be heartbroken. Maybe.

"Um, we ordered...warm milk, toast, pancakes, with syrup, oh yeah, coffee, and I think...a chocolate cake...and specially served candy," Kazuha counted off her fingers. The words barely flew out of her mouth when the designated warm milk and pancakes (with syrup) showed up.

"Arigato guzaimasu," Ran nodded politely at the already disappearing waitress.

"No problem," She called over her shoulder.

Immediately, the boys were drowning their pancakes in syrup and pouring glasses of milk. Everyone watched Kaito as he dumped his glass of milk onto the syrup and pancakes, poured them into a bigger bowl, then chopped the pancake up and mixed the solution around. Then he fished out lumps of the pancake and popped it into his mouth. With his fork, of course. Although no one was exactly sure where he got a red fork when they were all supposed to have silver.

Aoko elbowed Kaito hard.

He faked a groan.

"There goes another rib..." He doubled over in an imitation of a stomachache, at least to Shinichi he was. Then suddenly, he popped up, and sparkles rained down from the ceiling, and he gladly drank in the oohs and ahs from the enchanted audience. Throughout the sparkles, somewhere in the audience, a large shriek was sounded, accompanied by a crash of a bowl. They were done anyway, and deciding not to face humiliation and attention, (mainly Shinichi), they set out.

x

They stepped reluctantly into the bitter winds, where the perpetual snow blew down. Everyone had agreed: Kaito and Aoko would go over to Shinichi's house, and stay for the night. Oh, how they wished the warm wind would come rushing down with the self-flinging sunlight, and splash warmly at their feet. They wished that they could see the orchids and the wildflowers dance among the burly trees, playing a game of hide-and-seek. The glistening drops of warm rain would come diving down, and delicately dribble down the tenderly viridescent, joyful leaves of the crysthanthemum blooming on the trees. The wind would rustle the hair of the sakura, and they'd come home, to where they started, on the spring soil, sodden in the heart.

The glistening white snowflakes dabbed their rosy cheeks as each girl snuggled against the boy next to them, wrapping their jackets and sweaters tightly around them. They walked a few more minutes in complete silence, broken only when the boy quietly told the girl to hold on tighter; the might get lost~not that anyone could hear them. The wind was whooshing around, and snow was conjured from nowhere and thrown onto the couples. The storm deepened, and soon enough, each person wasn't visible.

Shinichi suddenly had the bloated feeling like something was wrong. Lashing around wildly for Hattori, he was lucky enough to have bumped into him.

"Glad you didn't lose your way and fall down a cliff," Shinichi poured sarcasm into his voice as best as he could without his voice quavering and dying out from the cold.

"Glad you didn't, either."

"Do you feel it?"

"You mean the feeling like someone's dead? Yeah, totally," Hattori sarcastically remarked, rubbing his gloved hands together.

"I was serious," Shinichi solemnly replied.

"I do," He grimly fit the puzzle pieces together.

"Let's go back, everyone!" Shinichi yelled into the growling wind. And so they set back, all of them disgruntled to have to go back again. Shinichi held Ran's hand, and prayed she wouldn't let go. There was a guarantee that she was going to freeze into a human popsicle if she did.

Shinichi squinted into the clouds of icy snow, hoping he could swipe them away with a flap of his arms. It was impossible to see ahead. They were trapped in a never-ending holocaust of wind and snow. The waves swirled around them, and Shinichi wondered if a hurricane of ice had made its way onto land and caused this horrible White Valentine. He would pay an arm and a leg to get out of this storm. Or maybe his own life to get the others out of the storm. Nah, he'd save his life for later. He crunched ahead, a hand in front of his eyes, gloved, with barely enough protection to prevent snow in his eyes. For several minutes, they suffered silently in the frosty grounds, whipping around in the tornadoes of now beautiful snow. Once you stay long enough, the dangerous turns into beauty.

They marched stiffly through the piles of snow. The blizzard had softened down into sprinkles of snow. It reminded Ran of a white windmill~making its rounds, gently fanning everyone, saving them from the summer heat.

Sometimes Shinichi recognized his life as a long movie. Everyday life was acting, acting, and more acting. How many years had passed before he had turned back into Shinichi again? Two? Three? Four? Four. Just think, he was twenty now. Yes, he went to university, although he never really payed any attention to it. Everyday was acting. Acting like he was Conan, acting like he wasn't in misery, acting like he was strong. He wanted to fall into someone's arms, have a break from acting once a lifetime. Just like going to the moon. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Just like falling into someone's arms. After breaking down, guarantee he'd be cursing himself and forcing himself to stand up. Then he would never get the chance again. It was just like that. No excepts. When the movie ends, how would he be? Dead? Withered? Depressed? He wouldn't know. Because the movie would never end. Never. Forever, it would just go on, on, and on. Some people think a few minutes seem like a forever. But think of definition. For always. No, not even a lifetime made up forever. Forever was forever. Forever.

Groping blindly like he couldn't see, because for certain, the snow had hardened its fall again, his hands painfully struck the side of the doorknob, freezing cold. Pretending nothing was wrong, he opened it, letting supposedly everyone in. Once inside, he realized that someone _had_ died. A slit in the throat. Shinichi walked over grimly, and felt for a pulse. Nothing. Hattori had already set out the task of dialing for necessary people, and soon, the police were on scene. There was something not explainable, though. Due to the body's stiffening, Shinichi could tell it was half an hour ago. About when the sparkles were showered. Yet Shinichi had been staring at the audience when that happened. And he was sure the bowl had been crashed.

How had a person committed a crime right under the supervision of two great detectives?

* * *

 **Well, got it just in time for my birthday! Wow! Well...I'm out.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys...this might be my last time updating in a long time...so be prepared. Thanks.**

* * *

"The victim is Ashikaga Akano, 29, currently a full-time babysitter. The time of death is eight-thirty, half an hour ago. The murder weapon was a sharp object, most likely related to a knife sort," Takagi Wataru reported to the nodding and grunting Megure-keibu, who was inspecting the scene. He peered over the tape that stood against tables to keep the mob away, and pointed at a red shard on the floor near the body.

"What's that, Takagi?"

"Hai. That is a shard of pottery, covered with blood, sir," Takagi informed him.

"Hm," He replied. "Have you made sure that it is blood and not, hm, red dye?"

"Hai."

"Are you sure it's fresh?"

"Hai."

"Then what about the kitchen knives?"

"The forensics are still examining it," Takagi jabbed an elbow towards the gaping kitchen door. His gloved hands ran his fingers down the list of information. "Hm, she came with her friends Akagi Aika~" He pointed to a girl with short, layered brown hair that curled at the edges and grey eyes "~and Enomoto Moriko~" he gestured to a girl with emerald eyes and flowing, glossy dark hair "~ both fellow babysitters. They came at approximately seven in the morning to get away from their boyfriends, according to them."

"H-Hai," The blue-eyed girl sobbed into her friends shoulder while the other swiftly swiped at her emerald eyes, as if unwilling the tears to come out. "O-Our boyfriends would st-start pestering us soon, w-w-we realized, a-and so w-we dec-c-c-cided to have a g-go before...th-they came," she incoherently muttered and sobbed into her friend's soaked shoulder.

"Do you guys have any grudges?"

"Well, her boyfriend used t-t-to be mine..." Aika trailed off, averting their searching eyes.

Everyone saw the blood stain on her thigh.

"Come here," Megure-keibu crooked a gloved finger at Aika. She stumbled over. The forensics analyzed the blood.

"The blood is the victim's," One of them determined.

Shinichi and Hattori were not listening that closely, however.

They were busy examining every knife and sharp object possible, bringing it to the forensics if it was not inspected yet. All the results were the same: nothing was blood-stained except the shard of pottery. Such a small pierce would not kill the victim; in fact, it wasn't even big enough. What harm could a shard barely as thin and wide as a needle do except spill the teeniest bit of blood? Adding to the first piece of argument, it was confirmed that it wasn't the victim's blood. It was one of the waitress's that had rushed to pick up big shards. When she was rising from the ground, her head bumped the table and she fell forward. That's when her hand went and groped for the ground to support her, and her hand landed on the shard.

There was confirmation by several witnesses and the bandage wrapped around her finger that the scenario was not made up. That meant, every single piece was not the weapon.

"Where are the other shards?" Shinichi queried.

"Over there," Hattori pointed at a large trash can. "I checked."

"None have blood?"

"None."

"This is a dead end," Shinichi sighed.

"Dead end? There are no dead end for the Shonen Tantei-dan!" Shinichi and Hattori heard Ayumi brashly exclaim to him.

"Y-You guys! What're you guys doing here?" Shinichi asked, horrified.

"And it's there _is_ no dead end, not _are_ no dead end," Hattori eyed them warily.

"We are here to eat!" Genta puffed out his chest as much as he could.

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ you're here to eat, Genta."

"Yup," He bobbed his head up and down.

"Shoo, you guys, go play, there's a case," Shinichi waved a lazy hand at them while his eyes were trained on the shard that lay in his pocket in a hankerchief.

"No!" They whined.

"Fine. I do need someone who is trustworthy to bring this," he took the shard out, "to the forensics."

"What're you gonna do then?" Mitsuhiko glared at him. It looked pathetic; a nine-year-old garishly glaring at a nineteen-year-old. Hattori sniggered.

"What?" Mitsuhiko turned to him.

"Nothing, nothing," He replied in an nonchalant, airy voice that crumpled with another laugh rising in his throat.

"I will be working," Shinichi innocently stated.

"Fine..." they chimed.

x

Hours had passed, and the Shonen Tantei were asking Shinichi crazy questions, with an absent-minded answer of "I'm working." bouncing back every time.

It wasn't making sense. This was murder, right? Yet all this stuff made no sense. No sense at all. The victim seemed to be wearing gloves. Then where did it go? The tight wool marks still clung onto her skin, yet where did the gloves go? After a person dies, they can't move. Unless...

"Ne, Hattori," Shinichi nudged a staring Hattori out of his glaze.

"Nani?"

"Do you think, by any chance, that...someone else took the gloves off the body?"

"That's what I assume," Hattori replied. It was like a gritty window was finally wiped and opened. Now you could see outside.

"Souka, I know now," Shinichi whispered.

"Nani?"

"So, the victim crashed the bowl. I was sure I saw her mouth open and scream. Then, as everyone was watching the sparkles, she, with her gloves on, slit her throat with one shard that was bloody. Akagi Aika, who had felt a warm drop of flying blood land on her thigh, saw it and wiped the blood off the shard, then put it back on the floor. She didn't bother to tell anyone, because she had a deep grudge against her because she stole her boyfriend. Then she put on the gloves she had taken from the victim and, using them, wiped off her fingerprints. Then, when the waitress came, she purposely pretended to cough and leaned forward, successfully pushing the table toward the waitress's head. That way, when she was getting up, her head bumped on the table and the priorly positioned shard was pierced into her skin. Then she was able to hide it from Luminol. And of course she had a solid alibi; everyone at the table that the waitress saw and many others saw her, so there was no way she couldn't have an alibi, because of the body stiffening, too. Plausible?"

"Exactly what I thought."

"Great, let's go crack the case."

x

Everyone was gathered and grouped.

With hindsight, Shinichi realized the thrill of a case had masked his fear that he would be spotted by the syndicate~but now it was too late. The only sensible thing he could do know was wait and just go with the flow. Ran could see Shinichi's eyes darting around, and she was wondering what would happen to him.

"Kudo-kun, Hattori-kun, do your best," Megure-keibu clamped a hand onto their shoulders. "We all need your deduction."

"Hai," they replied.

"The culprit is someone unexpected," Hattori started for Shinichi who was still somewhat nervously scanning the restaurant.

"Who?" The crowed whispers and echoes filled the room.

"In very basic terms, the victim," Shinichi bluntly stated.

"Nani?" The pandemonium, Shinichi was sure, could be heard through the blizzard and to the other side of the frosty street.

"Let us explain!" Hattori shouted above the uproar.

The room was ghostly silent.

"During the sparkles~" Kaito did a bow, "~the victim crashed the bowl and shrilly screamed, I think all of you heard it, ne?" Shinichi spoke to the crowd. There were bobbing heads. "The victim, with her wool gloves, grabbed a shard of the shattered bowl and slit her throat." There were murmurs of "she committed suicide" heard chorusing through the mob. "Now let me explain the drop of blood on Akagi Aika's thigh. We all know that it's the victim's blood. When she slit her throat, this particular drop had coincidentally landed on her thigh~a major piece of evidence. Aika had felt it. That's when she looked at the victim, and saw what happened. She didn't help; she had a grudge against her. Instead, she wiped the blood off the shard with her hankerchief~another major evidence that lays in her pocket~ and then with the victim's gloves, wiped off fingerprints."

"Then," Hattori continued, "she threw the shard across from her under the table with the rest of the pile that she had kicked there. She waited for the waitress to come, then with a fake sneeze that the table had heard, she leaned forward to the table and moved the table slightly toward the waitress. Soon enough, the waitress had bumped her head, and instinctively, reached out a hand to the floor. That's when her hand made contact with the shard and thus masking the blood that she had wiped off, and, now, in her head, untraceable by luminol."

"But, how would I know if she would land on that one shard?" Aika demanded an answer. This part was where Mouri Kogoro would get stuck on and make up something, but not them.

"What if you told your friend on the other side, as a joke, to nudge her hand to the shard?"

"C-Certainly, that did happen," Enomoto Moriko reluctantly admitted with her emerald eyes wide with fear.

"No, it didn't happen," Aika tried to contradict.

"It did," One person from a close-by table stepped out to speak. It was Hakuba Saguru.

"YA CAN'T TRUST THAT GUY!" Hattori screeched, flicking a bird at him.

"Hattori," Shinichi clapped his shoulder. He softened.

"Fine," he grumpily muttered.

"Akagi Aika, you are now under arrest for murder."

She was led away.

* * *

 **Now that's just a case chapter.  
**

 **Gimme feedback! Was the case easy? Too many holes?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, guys, things have been tough, but I'd say that updates are gonna be fine. Hopefully. Eh, maybe a slight one ore two difference in updating every two weeks, but hey, at least I won't put this story on hiatus...**

* * *

Kaito groaned. So did Shinichi, and did Hattori.

The girls had gone out shopping, leaving nothing but a note and a group of sleep-fried boys. Ran, Kazuha and Aoko decided to write up a list of chores for the boys to do with the warning that if they didn't, Aoko would chase them with a mop, Kazuha would wack them on the head five times with that heavy wallet of hers, and Ran would smash leftover dinner in their face, and along with a sentence of being grounded for as long as they lived (maybe).

"The organization was out last night," Shinichi whispered to Hattori. They were showered with cake sprinkles.

"Hey guys, include me, too!" He protested, although truthfully, he had heard them with the keen ears he had. Perhaps they were talking about those nasty old fat black men who took away his father. He hoped not, because if so, then it would be a small world after all.

"As long as ya don't shower us anymore," Hattori promised with a scowl on his face.

"I won't," He yelped with an obedient facade on. He put his hands behind his back and marched to the note. "Can I read it?"

"Sure..."

" _Shinichi, Heiji and Kaito:_

 _We have left some...ah, fun stuff for you guys to do. Get started, or else Kazuha will smack you on the head five times with her wallet, you know how heavy it is, and Aoko will chase you with a mop. Then Ran will smash last might's dinner on your faces. and maybe a lifelong ground. Good luck!_

 _1\. Eat breakfast and clean yourselves.  
_

 _2\. Wash all the dishes and take in all the dried clothes from the washing machine, fold them, and distribute them correctly._

 _3\. Tidy the bookshelves._

 _4\. Wipe clean all the kitchen counters and all the other tables or glass._

 _5\. Make sure everything is organized and that all you boys' rooms are at least decent._

 _6\. Water the plants."_

"Well...did it say when they're coming back?" Shinichi asked.

"Uh...noon."

"One hour...we have to hurry! Um, I will, um, eat breakfast with you guys, then wash all the dishes and take in all the dried clothes from the washing machine, fold them, and distribute them to each of our rooms," Shinichi proclaimed.

"I'll tidy the bookshelves and make sure our rooms are decent," Hattori piped up, and scrambled to the kitchen to eat breakfast.

"I'll just do the rest," Kaito agreed flexibly, and sometimes, it can be literal. Shinichi hadn't forgot the day Kaito balanced between two branches of an oak doing the splits.

"Hai," Shinichi agreed too.

x

They ate breakfast in no more than a few minutes, and Shinichi lagged behind to wash the dishes while the rest dashed to their next task. Halfway to the hallway, Kaito must have remembered he was supposed to also do kitchen work, so he did a back-flip and slid to his destination while Shinichi almost crashed a plate on the floor because of the sudden thump.

Kaito grabbed a rag and flexed his arms on the counters like a windshield wiper of a car. With that done, he scrambled all over the house swiping at this and that, rubbing every dot off the windows, and at last slumped over the bathroom sink, awaiting the water to fill the jug.

"Uh, Kaito, you _can_ just spray everything with the sprinkler outside," Hattori tiredly, grumpily vocalized. He pointed a thumb at the snaking garden hose out the window.

"But to get every little plant so the girls won't get angry, I'm afraid this is the only way," Kaito almost snapped. Hattori grabbed the towels and went to the rooms to clean. Soon, everyone heard a crash from downstairs and realized that Hattori had fallen down the stairs clumsily. Sometimes your day just doesn't work out, eh?

"I'm fine," He called, and after almost jamming his toes while kicking the stairs, he started the mess of Kaito's room.

Kaito slunk away to the garden, and jabbed the nose of the water jug under every plant's branches. With that done, he shot water in the air with the sprinkler as a finale and then cracked his butt on the couch.

"You guys done?" He called up, mimicking the sight of a girl having a heat stroke and fainting.

"About," Shinichi banged the door of the cupboard and slumped into an armchair. "Now I am."

"Me too," Hattori closed his eyes and attempted sleeping. Shinichi turned on the news.

" _The latest news: Famous Hakuba Saguru has been unseen for about a week; and by the looks, he's being chased. Let's just pray to Kami-sama that_ _he's safe,"_ An elder lady reported, shut her eyes and prayed.

Hattori snorted. "That Hakuba is 'unseen'...serves him right..."

"He might be in the grasps of you-know-what," Shinichi warned. There was no doubt that a detective like him could be in the snaring tendrils of such an evil, dark, expanding syndicate.

x

A few hours later, the boys were all fed up with the news, and Kaito, for Hattori, because of the silly string Kaito had been spraying on his clothes. The girls were still out, doing whatever girls did, spending priceless hours picking out clothes that they probably weren't going to buy. Every boy knew what a girl was up to when they went shopping, most stopping to eat this and look at that, and drool at the expensive outfits. That was what they all called 'a waste of time'. Why be just checking things out when you could be watching movies, or something else that was FUN?

"When are the girls coming back?" Kaito munched on crackers he found laying in the cupboards, with his feet up and his hair almost mopping the floor. **(You know how you lie upside down on the couch, your feet above and...yeah...)  
** No soul in the house could figure out he could successfully eat the crackers without them going up his nose. There was almost no time until the sun set, and that would mean exploding the kitchen for the boys. Especially since the only one that could actually work in the kitchen somehow was Kaito...and he wasn't really trusted.

"Most likely in a few more minutes...they've been gone the whole day," Shinichi replied. "If they don't come back in...twenty minutes, we'll go look for them."

"Well, someone loves a girl," Hattori muttered.

"Just making sure they don't get caught in THEIR webs," Shinichi eyed him with venom.

"I know," He replied meekly.

For the next twenty minutes, the three boys were off in their own oblivion, one staring off into space preparing war plans that made no sense, such as leaping off a cliff and making the Black Organization follow them, another thinking about the dinner and how he could somehow add chocolate into it, and the other just re-reading the letter Vermouth sent him and making up a parody-ish version of it.

The time ran down the hourglass, but there was no sign, not even a shadow, of the girls.

"Let's go," Hattori realized that if they weren't going to say it, he had to.

"Hai," Shinichi agreed.

x

By the time the boys had searched all the stores, their stomachs were rumbling with protest and the stars were twinkling at them. There was no Ran, no Kazuha, and no Aoko. Nearly every corner of the city had been searched and the result: nothing. That's when they went home. And found what? A note. And worse? From Vermouth.

"IOU three brunettes," Kaito read aloud from the note. "Vermouth." He looked up to find Shinichi frozen and Hattori's eyebrows almost featuring icicles.

"Vermouth," Shinichi repeated as if his brain word processor was jammed. "Vermouth."

"Anything else?" Hattori questioned him almost as if he was in jail and was repeating lines that would get him out.

"Um, there is a tiny word on the bottom... Tropical Island," He scrunched his eyebrows. That led Shinichi to the poison, then to Gin, Vodka, and the deal, then~the poison. The poison. Where did she say it came from? A pharmacy in the syndicate. Where did she say it was located?

Underground?

"Kaito, are you up to blasting holes in subways and in subway tunnel walls?" Shinichi questioned Kaito.

"But what about dinner?"

"Baka, FORGET IT!"

* * *

 **Sorry, got caught up, but yeah. Thanks if you read this chapter!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, guys, I think this is the chapter that will finally start action...**

* * *

"Hey guys, I heard Hakuba say he wants to meet us," Kaito cheerily popped into Shinichi's room overlooking his ensnared backyard. The sun slipped through the pale blinds that blanketed the window and painted stripes of Shinichi's back. Cool air gushed in with Kaito as he ope~ er, chopped the door (because he was too lazy to open it and besides, he was testing the new home-made chainsaw...right?)

"Kaito!" Shinichi groaned and turned over so that his ears were muffled by his pillow, having still not seen the splintered door. His cowlick stuck out of his pillow, a trademark, and Kaito used that to his advantage. He grabbed chewed bubble gum that he kept in his sleeve in a plastic box, and, like a rope, coiled it around the bunch of hair.

"Hakuba is meeting us at the train station down south," Kaito repeated, tapping him on his covered shoulder. "I'm going with or without you." To that, Shinichi grumbled an "I'm coming" and scrunched up tighter. Kaito stood there in his bedroom for a good fifteen minutes, tapping his dynamic feet and inspecting every nook and cranny in his room.

Shinichi's brain told him to hustle up, but his body didn't respond. They just lay there, as if they were rocks too heavy to move.

Kaito brightened as an idea popped into his bottomless head that would actually make a huge difference. He wouldn't say an idea that worked, because nearly all his ideas were bound to work.

"Shinichi, try flattening your cowlick," He suggested mischievously. There was a pregnant silence before the sleep-wired Shinichi mumbled,

"There's no use," But still nevertheless groped for it. The moment his hand struck the sticky substance, Shinichi was out of bed and examining the foreign intruder on his hair in the mirror.

"Great, you're up," Kaito grinned and cartwheeled out of his room in jeans and a skin-tight button-up shirt. Shinichi later thought that someone in such tight garments were bound to have split their pants trying to do cartwheels~ yet their wasn't a fray in his raiment.

Then he finally had to deal with the ruined door (not that it would cost him any effort). Kaito secretively crept to one of the many spare rooms, hoping the girls won't catch him, where he had seen a couple of spare doors earlier when he was bored and was exploring the Kudo mansion. He nimbly unscrewed the splintered door hinges and exchanged doors.

Then he zipped downstairs to Hattori's bedroom that he would probably occupy for at least a month. "Remember to come with me to the train station!" He called over his shoulder.

A muffled reply was heard.

x

Kaito pranced to the door and quickly turned the doorknob, slammed the door, and yelled in Hattori's ear,

"HAKUBA IS GOING TO MEET US AT THE TRAIN STATION DOWN SOUTH. ARE YOU COMING?"

Kaito heard Hattori hiss a reply, "Kuroba Kaito, what in tha seven hells are ya sreamin' about when a man needs his sleep?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Kaito innocently queried.

"I don't wanna meet Hakuba," Hattori growled and pointed at the door. He wanted Kaito out. It wasn't like Kaito was going to kill him or something, but he was fed up with all the stress and burdens on his back. And what's better than a nap?

"He might know something about a...hm...what do you call it? Ah, yes, syndicate," Kaito stroked his chin, although in his eyes, fire blazed with fury. This caught Hattori like an unexpected cold bucket of water on your head. _Did he mean...them? As in the guys who took Kudo's three years? The ones who forced 'Sherry' into hiding? The one that we're after?_

 _The Black Organization?_

"Did you hear me?" Kaito tapped him on the shoulder not unlike the way he did to Shinichi. Kaito mock-glared at him, but it looked like he was going to burst with a trick that was trickling down his sleeve.

"Oh, hm, wha'?"

"I said, Shinichi will be coming. Will you? Hakuba said that he had top-secret information that Shinichi had requested. Another thing is, the girls are calling for breakfast," Kaito pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. Hattori nodded. "Oh, and, don't mind if Shinichi comes in with...a weird hairdo..."

"I'm comin' for Kudo's sake," He grumbled.

"Okay, see you at the table," Kaito sang before closing the door behind him. This left Hattori to his own thoughts.

 _Kaito certainly was infuriated when he mention 'them'. Maybe something happened? To him? That involved the syndicate?_

 _Wait, hold on._

 _You don't even know if he's talking about them..._

x

The moment the boys were in the kitchen, aromas of pancakes, and all the necessities of an "English Breakfast" wrapped them up in moods of gold, silver, and bronze. The girls worked hardly in the kitchen, scrubbing pans and cooling coffee. Aoko set the table and put food on their destined dishes. Ran continued to stir the coffee beans and get them grinded. Kazuha bustled around doing the dishes, putting one empty pan here and a dish there. The boys just sat down and watched as steaming hot plates were thrown onto the table.

They dug in.

"Mm, this is definitely the best coffee," Shinichi sipped the coffee that had just come out of the brewer. The steam lifting off its hot surface wafted in Shinichi's face as the scalding liquid slipped down his parched throat. At least there was still Heaven when there was Hell. **(AN: To those who are Christians, I don't mean any offense to your religion.)**

"And the best toast," Kaito, the 'hell', mumbled, crumbs spilling from his full mouth as he forked another slice into his mouth. He dipped the toast on his fork into his milk, then poked it into his mouth.

"Seriously, who drinks milk in the morning?" Aoko eyed Kaito.

"I do!" Kaito jabbed a thumb at himself. Aoko sighed in frustration.

"The best eggs, too," Hattori pointed at the sunnyside eggs with his fork while his mouth furiously chewed it so he could put more in. "Oh, and Kudo, 'sup with the hair?" His mouth was so full at the time Shinichi almost could've been positive that he said "Gogando shup sheer?"

Hattori earned a death glare.

"Morons," Kazuha muttered, eyeing the dirty table that the boys had created. Ran and Aoko nodded in agreement. When you have boys in the house, you yell at them. It's what you do.

"Well, guys, have you got any plans?" Ran set down a new batch at the table and settled down, too. She sighed with content and relief as warmth flooded her body. She passed the coffee she had made for Shinichi down the middle to him. He gladly accepted it and set it down gently near the table edge, cradling the cup for warmth. It was very cold outside, and Shinichi knew the train station was going to be very windy.

"Uh, well, we are going to pick up Hakuba-san," Shinichi explained. "Then he'll probably be living here for a few weeks." The second part was added tentatively because Shinichi wasn't sure if Ran would welcome a stranger who she had met once in a lifetime borrowing a room for about a month or so.

"Mou, Shinichi, always doing this stuff," Ran sighed tiredly. "At least tell him to bring a girl so it won't be so hard on us..."

Aoko giggled.

"Nani?" Ran quizzically asked, flustered.

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at the words 'bring a girl'. I know Saguru-kun from school, he's a detective -" to this, Ran murmured, "I know that..." "- And he...definitely would not have a girlfriend..."

"Well, I guess we'll just have ta go with tha flow!" Kazuha cheerily exclaimed.

"Hai," The girls agreed.

"Well, we better get going," Shinichi spoke and rose. He downed the last of the cooling coffee and headed to put his cap on that he had bought from London. "We're supposed to be there by eight, I believe." The boys uttered agreement and stood up, too.

"But you haven't even eaten much!" Ran protested, pointing at the still half-filled plate. Shinichi shrugged.

"I was used to eating one cup of udon, flavorless, for the whole day, when I was younger, when I was in a place where the provisions were running low because of no snow. I'm not that used to having so much anymore," Shinichi explained, careful not to mention the vast feasts he had when he was under Ran's care.

"Oh. I remember that," Ran put a finger to her chin, searching for the memories of when they were young. She zoomed past Shinichi with his high fever, Shinichi disappearing at the amusement park, Shinichi injuring his hand during a soccer game, Shinichi with a cold because of the rain...ah, there. She found the memory stashed deep. She remembered when Shinichi told her about a place where they had been on a case and then when he was staying overnight, the provisions ran low and he had to live on a cup of udon noodles.

"Well, we better go now..." Shinichi raced out the door, cap pressed firmly on his head.

"I wonder why he wears that cap whenever he goes out..."

 _He's leaving me. Again..._

x

They came just in time to see Hakuba stepping off the train station, startled at the swarm off people waving pens and papers. Kaito sniggered at the scene and plopped down on a nearby bench, viewing the scene as a comedy.

"Oi Hakuba! Ova' here!" Hattori swiveled his arms at him from behind a corner. Hakuba, with his keen senses, excused himself as fast as possible and streamed into the little shadow, with little attention as possible.

They walked together toward to the exit, not recognizing the black figures in the background.

BLAM!

Shinichi crumpled down.

"Oi, Kudo?" Hattori peered down.

"I guess I'm fine..." Shinichi croaked. He let his hand hang loose from where it clenched his side.

Red spots were blossoming like a wildfire.

* * *

 **Well, Happy Thanksgiving!  
**

 **So, from now on, I'll try to write at least two hundred words a day, and try to get my words per chapter to three thousand. The next few chapters might be a bit late because of the upcoming holidays, but I'll try my best.**

 **Oh, and, the reason I take at least two weeks to update once is because I have another story going on, too, and I'm trying to get the words up, too. So, yeah, a little mercy on me, please.**

 **R & R!**


	12. Chapter 12

**One thing I noticed was that my characters were a bit ooc. I'll try to fix that.**

* * *

The boys dragged the blood-stained Shinichi out of the public and hid him in a corner. Hattori and the others had definitely seen the remains of a shadow, a dark shadow, leaking through the station. Kaito yanked a hankerchief out of his sleeve to stem the pulsating flow of crimson.

"Oi, why didn't we just leave him in the public?" Hakuba, for once, sounded like a normal person.

"Ahou," Hattori hissed. "Didn't you see those professionals? They'd kill us, too, if we even tried. We have to get him medical help, though. There's no hospital we can get him to without news spreading, though..." Hattori thought about the shadows he had seen. He had definitely seen a bouquet of silver hair. No doubt that was Gin. If they really were here...then Shinichi and Hattori, along with Haibara...would be in serious trouble.

"I do remember there's a hotel somewhere near here...maybe I'll rent us a suite and you guys disguise him by putting him in a suitcase. Don't forget to disguise yourself, too," Kaito suggested quietly and switched to a fresh hankerchief.

"That'll work for now," Hattori agreed.

"Someone hold this cloth while I go," He told them. Hakuba stepped over and resumed Kaito's job. Kaito thanked him quickly and left, slinking silently into the dark shadows. The two boys waited somewhat impatiently for the thief to return, all at the same time on the lookout for the syndicate's shady men.

Hakuba cursed under his breath as another hankerchief was deemed useless as it submerged in blood. He threw it aside and asked, "Hattori-san. It isn't the best time to have resentments. Could I please borrow a hankerchief?" Almost begrudgingly, Hattori threw him one.

"Arigato."

"He's out cold," Hattori observed the sticky-red detective.

"True," Hakuba replied. They paused in an awkward silence. Thankfully, Kaito arrived.

It was quite a long time before the relieved thief finally emerged from the shadows, covered in sweat but had a look on his face that meant that everything had gone relatively smoothly. And by 'relatively' smoothly, it could've meant disaster.

"All covered," He stated grimly. "I have a car ready, too. I'll drive." He rolled out a suitcase from just about nowhere. "Here's the suitcase. It took me a long time to find one that actually fits him, though. The tantei-san, I mean."

"That'll do," Hattori said, almost in relief. They set onto the nasty task of setting the detective in.

"Oi, there's someone watching us," Kaito had his eyes trained on a faraway figure. "Back up some more so that he can't see us, nor can the citizens." They shuffled into the eaves. In hushed voices, they managed to stuff Shinichi into the pink suitcase, with a strip of cloth tied with a hankerchief, providing a makeshift bandage until medical help could be sought.

"All done," Hakuba announced.

"Great. Now get him to that black car," Kaito pointed at a shining BMW in the distance, where the parking lot was.

"Where the HELL did you get a BMW?" Hattori was wide-eyed and he was staring at Kaito with suspicion. "Don't tell me you stole it."

"Of course I rented it," Kaito huffed. "I would never steal something!"

"As if..." Hakuba muttered.

x

Gin bared his teeth as he examined his gloved fingers, sitting in the passenger seat of his Porsche.

"That was a success, Aniki," Vodka congratulated his the silver-haired man. "We got that git straight on, through the side. I saw the blood flow firsthand."

"Yes, indeed." Gin smiled, but the smile contained no warmth. It was cold, like ice, and had a malevolent glint to it. He glanced through the shady window, at Korn, who sped along in the little black car. Korn grinned with Chianti. Even though Chianti had actually shot the bullet, Korn was the one who told her the spot of the new silver bullet. The window scrolled down.

"That was a good shot, Chianti," Gin seemed to laugh. Chianti replied,

"Hai, Boss."

"But next time, conceal yourself more," Gin smothered a cold laugh.

"H-Hai...Boss."

"Korn."

"Hai?" The man called to him.

"Where's the car heading?" Upon his confused looks, Gin sneered. "The one with the wounded tantei-san in it. Let me see it."

"H-Hai!" The phone was passed to him. The bullet that had been shot had most conveniently carried a transmitter, alerting them where the wounded detective was going.

"The signal is muffled," Gin muttered. "He's probably concealed. However, it is clear he is heading toward the hotel. Vermouth!"

"Hai, Gin?" She spoke in a mock-like voice.

"I need you to go ahead and stick another transmitter on the car."

"No problem." She yanked on her helmet and, with her engines roaring, leaving nothing but fine smoke, she left.

"We will take that tantei," Gin announced.

x

The three girls were fairly relaxed, all sprawled on the couch doing nothing in particular. There was still a major issue buzzing in their minds, however. The boys. They all were extremely worried; they had been gone for a few hours, and still no sign. Surely picking up someone from a train station and coming back wouldn't take a few hours...

"Ne, do you think they crashed and had and accident or something?" Aoko piped up. Ran laughed.

"Of course not, Aoko-chan, they took the subway there. There's no way they could've crashed. The drivers are perfectly normal!"

"Also, think positive! They're probably eatin' at some delicious restaurant withou' us!" Kazuha stubbornly added in. "There's no way they would be so kind ta eat with us! They're all big AHOU's. Don't mind them. They'll come back soon."

"That does sound like Kaito," Aoko agreed. "I remember once it was his birthday, and he ate all the cake before the party even started! His excuse was 'I thought this was for me, and you had another one for everyone else'. Baka, ne?"

"Definitely," Ran giggled.

"That's tha spirit!" Kazuha enthusiastically told them.

Ran couldn't help but notice the feeling as they left. **(AN: Ah, this part about the feeling when they left, I updated the last chapter, because I realized I forgot that part. So if you're confused, just look back.)** It was like back at the amusement park. The Shinichi-is-never-going-to-come-back feeling.

"Ne, I'll just call them in case..." Ran held up her phone.

"Hai," Kazuha agreed. "Not that I care about him." She quickly added on as to repel any swooning and teasing. The silence gushed out of the chinks in the wall, until the sound of Shinichi's ringtone severed the silence.  
The sound rattled the phone, but after a few trials, Shinichi's voicemail message came on.

"Ja, since he's not answering, maybe I should call Kaito..." Aoko suggested.

"You should," Ran agreed, staring at the phone with a variety of emotions none of the girls could separate. "Until this baka finally learns to answer his phone. Everyday...He ignores me..."

"Hai, ya definitely should," Kazuha nodded her head vigorously. She herself, however, had doubts. Just a few minutes ago, she had texted Heiji. Normally, if Heiji heard the phone ring once, or even just vibrate, he would reply to her right away. Yet today, for the first time in five years, he didn't reply to her text. If even he couldn't reply, who knew what would happen? Would they be alright? For once, Kazuha hoped her gut instinct was completely off the track.

"Kaito?" Aoko called.

" _Sh, Aoko, don't call me right now,"_ Kaito's voice blared through. Then the call was cut off.

"What happened to them?" Ran wondered. "I don't like the feeling of this. Maybe we should go look for them? They might be in serious trouble, and if we don't go, they might get killed or something..."

"Ran-chan, ya really are watchin' too many horror films," Kazuha giggled. "They're just probably doing something."

"If it were Kaito, he would probably be in trouble with the train manager for jet-propelling the train on accident or something..." Aoko grinned. "I remember once he made it rain shoes in the train. The manager got really angry, though...

"I guess you're right," Ran relented, although sounding extremely unconvinced.

The girls sank back onto the couch, each sprawled in their own web of thoughts.  
Ran wondered about Shinichi. For the last few years, it was like he was on and off. Every time he came back, no matter how joyful, it had always seemed like he had changed. Not like he cut his hair or something, but it was like he changed inside. He didn't seem so self-centered and seemed to care for her more. He also seemed to come around with an indescribable look on his face. It was a do-or-die expression. That part was what scared Ran. What had happened to him that was so life-threatening? And another thing: what did he have to do with Conan-kun? The two seemed together, yet they were almost never seen together, with the exception of that case when Shinichi was the knight in the school play. That brings up the fact that his health always seemed poor. The time he fell down the stairs with an extreme fever, the time he collapsed after the school play, and the countless times his chest was in pain - that made it look like he was in some deep health problems. Whenever he left, he was always like that. With a high fever and and his chest in what seemed like a lot of pain, he would always slip away. Why couldn't he just ever stay with her? It was like they were never even meant to meet.

And with that, the three slowly made their way into the realm of dreams.

x

The ride was mostly silent, with Hakuba keeping track of any signs of suspicious activity, in the passenger seat, Kaito driving, and Hattori maintaining Shinichi's life. Shinichi was faring pretty bad, if you considered the best outcomes. He was now running a high fever, he was unconscious, and it just seemed like the bullet had taken a liking to a deep cut.

"C'mon, Kudo, don't die now..." Hattori muttered, hands sore from shading the wound with a hanker-chief. "Ya still need to accomplish that...dream of yars." He took a peek inside the suitcase, where the wounded detective was hidden. Hattori, noticing the severe lack of air, cautiously unzipped a portion more of the suitcase. The detective would need all the air he could possibly breath.

 _It might've been much worse had he been in child form_ _._ Hattori knew this was true. For once, he actually had to thank Haibara for the antidote, even though she had mistaken it for a prototype antidote. Luckily, it was discovered.

 _Still, he's dying._

"C'mon, Kudo, c'mon..."

"Guys? I see a Porsche speeding up, and inside I think I see a man that looks like the one who shot Kudo-san," Hakuba whispered. Hattori's head snapped up in alarm, and in disbelief, he craned his neck as to see the car behind them. It was the Porsche Gin drove, no mistaking it. The criminal had a maniacal sneer on his face as he sped up behind him, still keeping to the shadows.

"He's tha one," Hattori breathed. "We've gotta get outta here, before he manages to pin us down, too..."

"What do you mean, tantei-han?" Kaito shouted/whispered at him. Kaito was looking through the window, too, and what he saw almost made his blood freeze. They were the same group of the people in black who had killed his father. He smiled bitterly to himself.

 _It's a small world, after all..._

 _But what have you gotten yourself into, tantei-kun? What have you done to suffer the wrath I had to suffer? And why is it so coincidental? How big is this organization? What do they do? And again, what have you gotten yourself into?_

As if Shinichi was trying to answer, a groan bubbled forth from his lips.

"Oi, Kudo, hang on," Hattori whispered into the suitcase. "We're gonna have ta put on some speed. Just hang on tight, no matter what."

"They're out there, aren't they," Shinichi murmured.

"Hai, but whatever, just stay low..." Hattori whispered back urgently. "Don't make a sound..." His eyes widened as the engine neared up on them, its motor blasting its arrival into the air. They were catching up, quick.

Everyone jerked as Kaito swung into the parking lot. He parked in the midst of the mildly same colored engines, and prepared to evacuate.

"Leave..." Shinichi muttered.

"Nani, Kudo? Leave ya? Never!"

"Just...leave..." The three boys stood and stared sadly at the figure. "You'll be safe..." As the boys filed out reluctantly, Shinichi saw the last bits of Hattori's hat before he closed his sapphire orbs.

* * *

 **Okay, so I finished...I did try to make it more words, but I guess failed...eh.**

 **I'm made of 5% god, 10% animal, 5% genius and 75% water...I guess that's why...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, I was gone for skiing for a while, but...yeah...I came back...**

 **This chapter has a VERY OOC Kaito...if you don't mind...**

* * *

 _ **Shinichi is gone.**_

 _ **Gone.**_

 _ **Gone.**_

As Ran curled up on the sofa sobbing, the only thought that circulated successfully through was that one word: gone. She couldn't help but notice the guilty looks that the boys had arrived with -especially without Shinichi. But, if anything, their story was worse. Ran couldn't imagine what Shinichi had looked like. And...how was she going to live without him.

"Shinichi," she whispered.

"Ran-chan, everything is going to be alright," Kazuha reassured her, although no one looked convincing as they sat around the coffee table in a solemn silence. Even Kaito was just looking down. "Kudo-kun us strong. He can do it."

"You don't even know if he's alive or not! He got hit by a **bullet**." Ran sat up for a tissue to blow her nose.

"Well, we can't just stay here an' watch," Hattori stated.

"By that...do you mean..." Hakuba confronted him.

"Yep, we gotta win him back," Hattori confirmed. "We'll need ta take down that organization. But first, we'll need ta find people willin' ta help. Like tha police forces, whoever is willin' ta help. An'...I need ta tell ya a secret. One that could get ya killed. I'll tell everyone who volunteers."

The doorbell rang.

"Hai?" Called Kaito. He went to take a peek at whoever it was, and was greeted with three pairs of sad blue eyes.

"Shinichi-niisan? We found you!" Ayumi cried.

"Uh, I'm not your Shinichi-niisan. I'm Kuroba Kaito." Kaito gently told her.

"W-What happened to your 'magician' part after it?" Mitsuhiko asked concernedly. "I remember meeting you once...you said you were a magician every time. Why not to us? And most of all, where's Shinichi-niisan?" At the part of the magician, Kaito looked down. All three elementary school kids were aware of the hardening of Kaito's face. He seemed to look depressed.

"That's exactly why I'm not a magician anymore," Kaito shamedly admitted.

"Why?" The echoes floated around his head of the little schoolers' voices.

"It's because...I couldn't save Shinichi. Some magician I am," He muttered bitterly. "Gomen you had to hear that..."

"What happened?" Genta questioned him fiercely, as if he did deserve to hate himself for not being able to save his friend. "Did you drown him? Choke him? Drop him? Wait, that wouldn't work... but still! What happened?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Kaito questioned.

"Of course!" They yelled.

"Then come in, first," Kaito smiled.

x

"Go in, brat," A ruff voice barked at Shinichi. Shinichi stumbled in what seemed like a cell. As his vision focused and unfocused, Shinichi could faintly make out that it was one of the Black Organization's members. Sure, he might be a lower rank, but all Shinichi knew was: 1) They healed up his gunshot wound and 2) He was in big danger. The sad thing about the whole shebang was that the guy who threw him in was about his age, maybe not even. To think that they might have brainwashed a mere kid to do the dirty stuff was just...depressing and wrong.

As he was bumped onto the bench, he could finally make out Vodka coming in after the young boy. The boy retreated, bowing his head as he walked out. The door slammed shut and Vodka chuckled, a low husky chuckle that meant no mercy.

"So, slut," Vodka spat.

"What's up, Vodka?" Shinichi replied with hints of anger and pain melting casually into the sarcastic sentence. Vodka slammed him into the wall, his face a bit too close for comfort. His fist grabbed a handful of Shinichi's shirt. Shinichi grimaced in pain.

"No talking to me like that. Ever," Vodka growled. Shinichi wanted to wrinkle his nose at the stinky, smokey smell rising from Vodka's mouth.

"Hai." Shinichi tried playing along.

"Now, let's hear your story. Of how you escaped dying."

"No, I wouldn't want to spoil your young mind," Shinichi retorted.

"And I wouldn't want to spoil the organization floor with your ugly head," Vodka whined. "That wouldn't look too pretty, would it?" Shinichi's eyes hardened their gaze at the liquor-named black man. _It's do or die, after all..._

"You want to know my story? Then, don't touch my friends."

"A bargain, eh? Clever brat. But you're not going anywhere 'till you die, so why not?" Vodka drawled as if he was debating whether to eat cereal or toast for his breakfast. He made it seemed like Shinichi's whole life was just...a simple matter which wouldn't hurt if he died.

"What part of the story do you want?" Shinichi asked.

"Stalling, are ya? Here's a piece of my mind." Vodka lunged forward with a dagger he kept sheathed unknowingly in his sleeve. With a simple swipe, Shinichi's arm had an ugly cut stretched across it. Immediately, the red liquid gushed out. Shinichi curled up his arm protectively while at the same time tried stopping the flow of blood. Scoffing in his face, Vodka stepped back to admire his masterpiece.

"Now, speak before I slice you into bits with my beautiful knife," Vodka commanded, all the while gloating.

"No..."

Vodka lunged and a gun was at Shinichi's temple.

"I...was at Tropical Land..." Shinichi croaked.

"Good boy, go on," Vodka chuckled.

"I saw you holding a transaction...and wanted evidence for your arrest..." Shinichi glanced down at his cut, feeling relieved as the flow of blood gradually began to thin, but at the same time cringed when the gun was brought closer in, almost making a solidified dent in his head. "But...Gin...I forgot about Gin...and got knocked out by him..."

"And then we fed you the poison." Vodka grinned manically. His grin lessened, however, when he realized that the poison didn't kill the detective, because he was standing right in front of him.

"You thought I died, didn't you?" Faint hints of a smirk made its way onto the wounded detective's face. "I didn't, though."

"So sad, sad indeed," Vodka crooned at himself.

"I...shrunk." Vodka's eyes widened.

"You...WHAT?" Vodka's spit was flying onto Shinichi's face, as he desperately tried to shield himself. "Impossible! Tell me the truth. Or else...you wanna die, don't you? If ya don't, tell me the truth. No lies here."

"I'm not lying. You know, your boss wanted immortality, right?" Shinichi defiantly answered, because if you can only tell the truth with a gun to your head, it's better to fight while you're at it.

"Hai..."

"The scientists made the poison. With a billion in one chance, I shrunk." Shinichi felt his heart beat faster as Vodka gave a low growl and then a chuckle. The menacing look that crept up onto the shady man's face only promised death to the once shrunken detective. Vodka advanced, his shadow towering over Shinichi, making Shinichi feel like an ant.

 _Think, Shinichi, think..._

No matter how Shinichi desperately tried to come up with ways to escape the cold fire that Vodka spilled on him, it was like his mind was numb and wasn't responding to him. Maybe this was how paralyzed people felt. Numb and in no control of the situation. The way Vodka eyed him made his inside feel like acid as cold as ice was being poured in, destroying his nerves and messing with his brain.

"You lie..." Vodka sneered. "And I'll kill you for that. I did warn you..."

Shinichi suddenly felt like an unreasonable child as his consciousness nagged him to tell about Haibara Ai, or Sherry, better known to the men clad in black. That would make the perfect evidence to prove he's honest. On the other hand, his reasonable side told him to rather die than spill. Which was Shinichi's general way, and he was going to enforce that.

"Kill me then." Vodka did a double-take, and even Shinichi felt a bit shocked and mortified at the whisper that escaped his lips.

"N-Nani?" Vodka stuttered.

"I said, kill me," Shinichi repeated, his voice noticeably growing stronger.

"You said it," Vodka growled in satisfaction. He cracked his knuckles, making sure he looked buff. Out came a dagger.

"But first...we need to have some fun."

* * *

 **Happy New Year guys! I hope you have a wonderful 2016 and the next time I'll be updating is next year!  
**

 **Don't freak out, it's next year January. :)**

 **Hope you guys have a great time and...yeah. For those who's time already brings them to 2016, may you have a happy year. And for us Americans...let's count down...**

 **4... (hours)**

 **And then it'll be three and then soon enough it'll be 2016! At twelve am. Again, Happy New Year! My New Years resolution is to write longer chapters. Kinda hard to write while the teachers expect us to be working...**

 **...And I'm looking forward to a lot of reviews! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**It's been SUCH a long time...oh, gosh, more than a month...sorry 'bout that. Got REALLY caught up with...everything...**

* * *

To say that the six weren't frustrated was a downright, out-of-mind lie, as they sat down dejectedly, worriedly yet angrily in the cold, metal cafe chairs. As the waitress dutifully set their cups of tea and hot chocolate (for one certain blonde-haired detective...), they all just stared at each other hopefully, waiting for good news to miraculously trail out of someone's mouth. Finally, Ran sighed.

"Nothing," she murmured. "Nothing at all..." Kazuha and Aoko all just pushed the delicacy of the cakes and pies around, not willing to eat when something so dire was happening. Hattori let a curse slip out before just continously stirring his tea around, not really caring as it sloshed out and dribbled onto the grey table.

"Nothin' ova here, either," Hattori muttered.

"I think we should tell the police, now," Aoko meekly resigned her post. In Ran's eyes, they could see the turmoil as it sloshed around like Hattori's tea. Ran's lips tightened into a grimace, and she replied,

"Hai...I think independently searching is getting us nowhere." She set down her fork. "We should tell." Hattori opened his mouth in protest, then closed it. It opened again, and closed. He knew, it if was going to become that, then they would all have to know...his secret. Kudo's secret. One that could get them killed. He wasn't about to let the whole country of Japan just become targets of some stupid syndicate for one person.

"Heiji, if ya need ta tell us somethin', tell us NOW," Kazuha ordered firmly, narrowing her eyes. Heji slumped. Kazuha, with her quick eyes, wasn't one to miss it.

"I'd...need ta tell tha whole story, then..."

* * *

"Hattori-kun! Just the man!" The plump inspector with his orange suit opened his arms invitingly. "We need your smart brains on this. Where's Kudo-kun?" He looked around eagerly for the detective, but disappointingly shifted his gaze back when he realized the great detective wasn't anywhere near. Hattori lowered his gaze to the red tiles on the floor.

All the other teens also lowered their gazes. "Okay...then...how about Conan-kun? We haven't seen him in a long time!" This time, only Hattori remained silent and devoid of emotion. Kaito was close-second, though.

"Ah, Conan-kun!" Takagi and Sato-keiji made their way through the dozens of desks at the mention of the chibi detective behind the huge glasses. "Where's he? Don't tell me he's with the Shonen Tantei again... they've probably gotten into a lot of trouble with their Hakase."

"Iie, he's still in America," Ran gave a small smile. "And I have yet to hear from him..." Hattori shuddered at the though of the detective having his face smashed by her foot.

"D-Don't worry, he's probably just still adjusting," Hattori rushed to cover up his friend's unfortunate situation.

"Well, again, what about Kudo-kun?"

"See...tha's tha reason we need ya police," Hattori muttered. "Kudo's missing."

Megure-keibu frowned. "Do you know where he is?"

"I don't know where, but I know who," Hattori replied. Ran narrowed her eyes at him, and Hattori knew he should've talked to the inspector in private without the girls breathing down on his neck every time.

"Hattori-kun! Are you saying that you didn't tell me something?" Ran balled up her fists. "I want to find Shinichi too! You can't do that!" Hattori sighed. This was exactly why he didn't want to leak that much. Ran.

"Tha's what I'm gonna tell ya guys." Hattori shifted his gaze onto the brunette. "So, keibu, ya mind if ya bring your police force with ya to Kudo's mansion?"

* * *

"All the people you need is here," Aoko informed a grim Hattori. He gazed around at the millling people in Kudo's basement, all struggling to find a chair.

There was Ran and her parents, Kogoro just smoking a cigarette and Eri busily rapping away on her laptop. Ran was confusedly staring at the crowd of people, obviously still in shock after Shinichi's abduction. She seemed lost in thought, and worried. Kogoro looked ready to fall alseep, and Eri was straightening her glasses. Hattori tried to maintain an invisible status towards Ran's eyes, fearing that one look at his eyes would unravel the thread that was the mystery of her boyfriend. Hattori hated that Ran was suffering, but soon it would be all out, so he tried his best to push away the guilt.

There was Kazuha just sitting patiently in the corner with Aoko, Kaito and Hakuba. The four seemed as confused as Ra, because they though that they knew everything. Yet this~ Hattori wasn't even sure Kaito, or KID, as Hattori liked to dryly mock, could firgure out. Aoko seemed to still be making herself comfortable, after running around with Kaito trying to find all the needed people. Hattori still had that resentment towards the blonde detective, therefore not too keen on looking over at the group of teens.

Next to them was basically almost all of the Homicide Unit. There were almost the whole division, with the exception of the few who were on cases. Megure-keibu sat silently with his orange arms folded, taking in the situation before his eyes. Next to him sat Sato, chatting quietly with a beet red Takagi, often stealing glances at the inspector who was known to her almost as a second father.

Proud, tall, but silent, sat inspector Shiratori like a lone wolf. His cold gaze swept constantly across the room, and Hattori shudddered when the target of his gaze was suddenly him. He felt like the guy had something to do with the organization, but, he willed his mouth shut, unwilling to find out the consequences.

There were so many police forces in the room Hattori felt no need to identify each and one of them

Hidden deep in the shadows, at the very back, sat the FBI. They did not speak and did not converse. Hattori took note of that, but when Jodie Saintemillion waved and winked at him, Hattori was relieved to find out that, yes, they were actually human and those were not just mannequins.

"Oi, brat, start to talk or else I'm getting out!" Kogoro annoyingly complained with impatience.

Taking a shuddering breath, he started.

* * *

 **Well...everyone...Happy Valentines Day? And to those who are out there marrying, asking someone out...good luck! And to those who haven't yet...WHAT ARE YA WAITIN' FOR? HURRY UP!**

 **Okay, that's no excuse for the late update...**


	15. Chapter 15

**I just finished watching Akame ga Kill, so I was very late on updating my other story, which meant I had to push this back, and so yeah.**

* * *

"You shrunk, no?" Gin calmly questioned. Shinichi, chained to the wall, struggled in vain, not meeting the ruthless assassin's eyes. He had a bad feeling Gin in some way could see right through his mind.

"Why should I tell?" Shinichi panted as he continuedly lashed his shoulder out, trying to loosen the iron's grip on his wrists. Hair fell into his face, and he blew it away. As that didn't work, Shinichi got to work trying to pry his ankles free from the unbreakable grip. "There's no point. You already know."

"Ah, so you do admit it." Gin gave a sneer. "I wonder if you know a girl named Sherry…" Shinichi's eyes widened as he hurriedly scrambled around in his mind, trying to find a believable lie.

"Well…Sherry sounds like a good girl's name, but I don't know anyone actually named that," Shinichi fibbed, although he didn't seem to believe it himself. He stayed silent, playing dumb, chained to the wall. He had long dismissed the idea of busting himself out.

"Liar," Gin drawled. "Perhaps this should convince you…" He whipped out a gun, pressing it firmly into Shinichi's side.

"I don't know anyone," Shinichi firmly replied, not the slightest intimidated.

"Nani?"

"No one is named Sherry that I can recall of."

Gin squeezed the trigger with a smirk, flashing his teeth as a bullet sunk into Shinichi's side. Shinichi gasped but otherwise did not show any hints of pain.

"Of course you know her. She knows you, too."

"H-How?" Shinichi asked wide-eyed. Gin smirked once more.

"You admitted it. WHERE IS SHE?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me, then, who else knows about you?"

"No one knows about me."

"Who. Knows. About. You?" Gin snarled forcefully, stabbing Shinichi repeatedly with every word, bringing the dagger down hard into his body and yanking it out over and over again. Shinichi just stood against the wall, drowned, almost, in his own pool of blood. His chapped and peeled lips struggled to form words. He croaked,

"N-No one."

With a high-pitched scream, Shinichi brought his eyes down to see a dagger embedded in his thigh, and as khakis were dyed a deep crimson. Gin yanked it out with a sadistic smile. "You will tell me…" Shinichi gave up trying to act tough.

He knew Gin wouldn't take no as an answer. He wanted to hear the words from Shinichi himself, even if it meant he lying and forced to do so. Gin was stubborn as a jackass, just in an icy manner. The man would not take any other answer than what he wanted to hear. Shinichi knew that. But, he also knew that if he was accepted into admittance, then Gin would kill him for knowing the information. At this point, Shinichi was sure it was certain death, like a deer forced with the decision to run into the hunter's gun or drown in the icy river.

He decided to act dumb.

"I told you, no one!" Shinichi spat defiantly, although he winced at his own words, because it was obvious as hell she was lying. "No one knows about me! I swear! No one! No one…" He faltered as Gin brought the dagger and traced it down his arm, from his shoulder down to his elbow, flicking off the blood at the end.

"There, that should do it." Shinichi ignored it. His pained gaze met Gin's cold and unforgiving gaze, as he whispered, this time relaxing the slightest bit as it wasn't so dissuasive.

"No one."

Gin stabbed the dagger into Shinichi's already pretty much scarred up stomach, and with his teeth bared, gave a humorless grin. His eyes flashed, and he started peeling off Shinichi's skin. As he did to his leg, Shinichi screamed, but refused to beg him. He shouted out for help, but it was as if no one heard him, or bothered.

"Then tell me…who are you to them?"

"I'm…Edogawa Conan, a distant relative of me, and my parents are not with me." Shinichi recited, the words still a relatively familiar shape on his tongue. It was like reciting lines in a play, reciting them over and over agin until they were engraved into your head holding no meaning. After spending three years as his alias, he was still having problems socially.

"Ah, is that so?!" and then all Shinichi saw was blood, streaming down his face.

x

"Ah, Jodie-san, why are you here?" Megure-keibu kindly asked.

The inspector was greatly surprised to see the English teacher with the horrible Japanese sitting there in the corner with a buff man, chatting lightly. Megure thought it had been a very serious, but if the bubbly sensei was there, who knows? Maybe not. To be truthful, Megure was sure he had seen that buff guy somewhere…

"Arra, Megure-keibu!" Jodie exclaimed. Megure inwardly frowned, because it didn't seem like she had an accent. "You're here, too?" Megure had to draw suspicion out of her words, because what she said made it sound like he was the one that wasn't supposed to be here.

"Hai, it seems. I thought you were an English sensei?" Megure asked. He was sure he heard Jodie curse in English, and then shift uncomfortably, but it was all in a split second, so he couldn't be too sure. "Oh, wait…you don't teach anymore…" He had just remembered, she had resigned for unknown purposes.

"Oh, well, it's nothing much," She replied.

"By the way, who's he?" Megure curiously asked, pointing a little at the buff guy sitting very much by himself, seeing that Jodie had abandoned the conversation.

Memories flooded back, as if a dam had been punctured.

"Oh, isn't he the FBI member in that case?" Megure exclaimed, pounding his fist into his palm. The two shushed him, and Megure calmed himself down. "Why, is it secret?"

"Yes. You will see in a few minutes."

"Okay…"

x

Hattori paced around, Haibara sitting quietly near him.

"Almost time," Hattori muttered. "And I still haven't found tha words." Haibara looked up, an eyebrow raised, as she silently marked her page in the book she was reading. She got up off the flaming red armchair, and strutted slowly towards the teenager.

"Hattori," She stared up. "Just think about it…start from the beginning."

Hattori face palmed miserably.

"I…can't. Dunno where to start… There's just so much ta that ahou's story…I can't possibly say everything, can I?" Haibara merely smirked.

"Think, and it will come. I know you're just afraid."

Hattori looked away. The girl, no matter how small, was right. He was just scared. Scared of what? Well….having to break the news, scared for his friend's life, scared for the lives of everyone putting in their own piece of the puzzle. He was scared, and he knew it. It was just…there were so many words, so many memories, so many emotions. He couldn't possibly just phrase everything in two minutes, could he?

x

 **So, that's the end...of this chapter.**

 **By the way, I'm most likely going to end this story in the next two or three chapters, so yeah.**


	16. MASSIVE REWRITE

**Okay, so I'm NOT going to give up on this story, but I do want to do a massive rewrite, so for the next month or two I'll be busy.**

 **If anyone has suggestions as to where I should change, etc, I would gladly, most likely, if they aren't too crazy, use them. I'll make this into a chapter as soon as I'm done.**

 **Thank you for your patience.**


End file.
